The Walk of Life
by The Crazy Chemist
Summary: My very first fanfic! An ohana. Friendships. A series of love letters. Trips to the hospital. A return of Hamsterviel. Will love triumph? Note: I do not own Walt Disney's fabulous Lilo & Stitch characters. I hope you enjoy and comment! Jumba and Pleakley OTP, because they need more love!
1. Prologue

A lot happens in a ten years' Earth time. Babies are born. Kids grow up. Grown-ups grow old. This is mostly true of the broken, and so called "weird," Pelekai ohana, whom once lived together in their classic, but futuristic and dumpy, blue Kauai abode.

Young Lilo - not so young anymore - had now surpassed the ripe age of 16, looking much like her sister older Nani, but still inheriting the looks of her father. Upon stumbling through many difficult school times, getting her driver's license after her second try, graduating from high school, and learning how to use a blaster from Jumba, she was now ready to excitedly attend the Galactic Alliance Community College in the fall, full scholarship from the Grand Councilwoman. Since "pets" were allowed to stay in the college's dorms and even were allowed in classrooms, Stitch, her always faithful, curious, fluffy, indestructible alien companion, was to go along with Lilo to provide her with company. Angel, Stitch's boojiboo, was also to come along; Stitch and Angel were inseparable. The two experiments would possibly learn a thing or two, but that would be highly unlikely because they were both programmed supercomputers.

Throughout the years, Nani and David more frequently went on "not-dates." During one beautiful sunset not-date, David proposed to Nani in the Pelekais front hammock, of course when her stress level was at an all-time low; he knew she couldn't resist. So, in a year's time, the happy couple got married and David became a part of the ohana, thanks to the many arrangements made by Pleakley. It was a beautiful wedding in the Pelekai backyard much like the fake, interrupted wedding of Pleakley to Jumba a few years back. But, the Kawena wedding was even better because the big dummy head didn't come to blast everything to pieces and because Fibber wasn't there to tear the fabric of humanity apart. Instead, the big dummy head and Reuben came as surprise wedding singers; they were the laugh of the reception. Hey, maybe some of humanity was torn apart!

A couple years after the wedding, the Kawenas own little family began to expand – they were expecting their firsts. Because Nani was still frequently late for work and because they didn't want to make Pleakley obligated to revolve around their new children all day, the Kawenas decided to buy a little, quiet beach shack close to a daycare center and both of their workplaces. Now, Nani was the vice president of the Bird's of Paradise Hotel's beach rentals and David was promoted as the head of the "stupid, fakey luau."

That left Jumba and Pleakley alone in the quiet, but once frantic and happening, Pelekai home. The Pelekais had accepted them as part of their little ohana for 10 years now and Nani and Lilo felt indebted to the two aliens because of all of the things they had done for them and all of the memories they had shared.


	2. Aloha

Jumba and Pleakley stood at the end of the creaky staircase leading to the entrance of the Pelekai house. Pleakley was crying his head off into an antique hankie and Jumba was keeping his cool like he normally did in such situations as they watched the happy leaving members of their ohana pack up their last things.

"I bet I can close the hood before you Stitch!" Lilo feistily challenged as she suddenly jolted over to the open hood stuffed with unusual dorm things, including Stitch's Ugly Duckling book and Lilo's Elvis records. They had just returned from a goodbye trip around the island.

"Okie-taka, feeboogoo!" Stitch growled as he raced over the top of Lilo's new, orange, flammin' spaceship. Being much faster than Lilo, Stitch easily shut the hood before she even reached it. He gave out a classic Stitch laugh as he jumped into Lilo's arms. They both fell to the ground laughing as the back door to the Kawena's moving van was slammed shut. Angel came to join in on the laughing party.

"Alright, that's enough you three," Nani teased as she knelt down to the ground carefully to tickle their bellies, "You better be going soon. Don't want to be late like you guys always were to advanced hula."

"Nani, don't bend over. And, besides, it usually takes 1 day, 11 minutes, 22 seconds, 43 split seconds, and 55…" Lilo began.

"But, you only have one day to get there before orientation. You won't even have time to unpack." Nani argued in an almost worried motherly tone.

"I can't help it. I learned it from you. Besides, Stitch will likely recommend activating the H drive. We'll get there in plenty of time. Right?"

"Ih," Stitch and Angel nodded.

Nani rolled her eyes with seriousness and anger, "Are you lolo? There will be no H-drive and that's final. You hear me, Lilo? You three hurry up now and get going."

Lilo let out a huff as she knew her refutation would leave the ohana on a really bad leaving note. The three got up from the ground as they walked towards Pleakley and Jumba. Nani and David trailed behind. All were in silence for a few moments.

"I'm really gonna miss you guys," Lilo sadly smiled as she gave the two aliens a big group hug. Pleakley, in his purple, frilly dress and favorite brown wig, could hardly prevent himself from losing it. He thought this day would never come. "But, it'll only be two years up there – less than two years here. And, we'll be home on all the long breaks," she began optimistically, "The solstice and the equinox breaks. I'll even miss school for Thanksgiving."

Pleakley looked rather elated by the mentioning of the last break. "So that means you'll be back every single month?" he said innocently. The Pelekais still had never set him straight that Thanksgiving was a once a year holiday, but Lilo seemed to forget that at this moment.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Pleakley. School only permits me to leave for the November one. But, it'll be okay. You can call me whenever you want on the intergalactic cell phone you got me from that family bundle catalog," she sympathized.

"Ohhh…" He said regaining his tears as Jumba couldn't help but roll his four eyes, "Will you be home for any other Earth holidays or perhaps the holidays you take up out there?"

"Naga," answered Stitch on hind legs as Pleakley gave a bad, teary look to the little monster.

Trying to divert Pleakley's madness but definitely not sadness, Lilo went back to her ship to get the item she was to give to her disguised, fake Earth aunt and uncle. She hid it behind her back at first. "Jumba, you were born to be an evil genius," Jumba nodded taking the statement as a nice compliment and a matter of fact, "You have created 798 biogenetically engineered experiments and counting – all of Stitch's cousins. As you know, for all of the 798 you, Stitch, Pleakley, Angel, and I teamed up to make them good and to find the one true place where they each belonged. I want you two to keep this book to remember all of these memories we had together and to continue documenting future experiments." Lilo unveiled the pink "Cousins" book from behind her back and placed it in Jumba's large hands, tearing up herself. She couldn't have placed it in Pleakley's because he had finally lost it and he had his hands and wig tufts caught up in his eye.

"Come, not-so-little-girl. 626. 624." Jumba smiled as he gave the book to Stitch, took Stitch and Angel in one arm, and hugged Lilo with the other, "Jumba is very proud of you little havoc makers. Take care of each other?"

Stitch quickly flipped through the pink book and landed on the page that had a picture about six years ago on the first page and a picture taken rather recently on the second. He pointed to the most recent picture. It was of all of the 798 experiments in front of the Pelekai house as well as Jumba, Pleakley, Lilo, Nani, and David. "Ohana means family. Family means…"

"Nobody gets left behind or forgotten…" The whole family said in unison.

"And, aloha means…" Angel purred.

"Goodbye and hello. But, in this case, mostly means hello." Lilo finished enthusiastically.

"Ih," agreed Stitch as he, Angel, and Lilo parted from Jumba's embrace with a wave and gave crying Pleakley a hug. "Iky," Stitch said as Pleakley dove his booger-filled head into Stitch's fur.

After some moments, Pleakley finally lifted his head from Stitch and tried hard to make a smile appear across his face. "You'll like G.A.C.C. … I'm going to miss you, though, very, very much, even the little monsters." Stitch and Angel chuckled as they scuttled over to Nani and David to give them their aloha hugs.

On her way to Nani and David, Lilo stopped at Jumba, whom was now surprised, "Keep an eye on him for me, will you?" Lilo whispered with concern as her eyes alluded to Pleakley, whom was now sitting on the porch steps with his head buried into his extravagant dress. Jumba nodded with a slight bit of annoyance as he gave Lilo another hug.

"You stay out of trouble, Lilo. Stitch. Angel." Nani smiled as she awkwardly hugged the three over her pregnant belly. "Don't forget to brush your teeth two times a day, to eat healthy food, and to not pick fights with the other students. And don't forget to call me when you get there."

Lilo sighed as David, Nani, and Jumba laughed. "Ya, ya, ya, _mom_." Lilo smiled as she stared at Nani's belly, "Let me know when they arrive and when you get all moved in. Have fun with Mr. fancy hair. Oh, and David, don't forget to feed Pudge every Thursday. Don't want to be getting some crazy weather."

"Sure," David and Nani laughed as David eyed Nani lovingly, "Let us know if you guys need anything. We can use the teleporter in Jumba and Pleakley's ship. We're gonna miss you. We love you Lilo."

"I love you guys too…" said Lilo.

And then, the three smiling friends walked over to Lilo's orange spaceship and waved as they opened the glass roof. They stepped inside with a minute to spare, but Stitch still activated the H-drive immediately bidding aloha to their ohana into the sky.

Frustrated, Nani looked over at Jumba, whom seemed pleased by the speed of their ship, and Pleakley, whom was now startled. Finally, the earth began to settle down. "If you guys need anything, we're just down the street," Nani pointed in the direction, "You're always welcome. We're ohana."

Jumba nodded, "And, we'll be being here. Need any help unpacking clunkety van?"

"Nah. I think we're good, but thanks anyway," replied David as he and Nani headed towards the van.

"Aloha."


	3. Alone At Last?

Weeping Pleakley still was frozen on the front step, looking as if he had seen the ghastliest, most ferocious thing in the entire universe.

Jumba joined him. "Scooch…" Pleakley did what he was told blushing slightly. "What's wrong, my little one-eyed noodle friend? Looks like I just unleashed one of my most evil experiments on ya." Jumba joked as he put an arm around him, leaving Pleakley blushing more. What was wrong with him!

"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG!? You saw what's wrong, _four eyes_ ," Pleakley cried pointing up to the sky and down the street while knocking Jumba's arm off of himself.

Not expecting this sudden, emotional outburst, Jumba jumped. He rarely jumped. Not even to the creation of his evil genius experiments. "Yes…I…saw…it…but…"

"But, what?! That I'm being too immature, clingy, grumpy, sad, moody, obsessive, overemotional, pessimistic, selfish, touchy…" Pleakley continued for a good 10 minutes listing off tons of negative adjectives while Jumba used his own propped up arm as a headrest. Jumba certainly didn't like what he was hearing, but letting his friend vent would surely let Pleakley calm down eventually, or not. "WHAT JUMBA!"

"Well, you can be a little like that sometimes." Jumba blurted trying to put it as scientifically as he could. Of course, that didn't register well with Pleakley, who wanted the 'you're not like that' answer.

"You think I'm too IMMATURE, CLINGY, GRUMPY, SAD, MOODY, OBSESSIVE, OVEREMOTIONAL, PESSIMISTIC, SELFISH, TOUCHY…" Pleakley began again, this time inscribing each into his tiny mind.

"Sometimes, like right now and some scatterings here and there, but that wasn't what I was goi…" Jumba was interrupted as Pleakley broke out into the loudest cry Jumba had ever heard, even louder than Belle's piercing screams. Pleakley immediately got up from the steps and tried to decide which way to go: into the house, to the Kawena's, to Plogonar, to anywhere but here. But, he was too late - Jumba's arms had him resting against the larger alien's belly, which almost made Pleakley melt into his warmth.

"Don't you know the 'keep your hands to yourself' rule!"

"A-no…"

"What about the personal bubble' rule!? Huh? Heard of that one?!"

"A-no?!"

"UGH, JUST LET ME GO!" Pleakley demanded as he struggled to break free.

"Jumba will not let you go!" At this point, Jumba was deciding whether he wanted to pull off Pleakley's wig and wear it, or invite him to his secret, pink, evil genius tea party. Maybe it would cheer his friend up and get him talking.

"NOW!" Pleakley still demanded interrupting Jumba's thoughts.

"Only if you promise that you won't leave. Ohana and I are worried. This is something we need to talk about."

"I WILL NOT PROMISE AND I WILL NOT TALK! Haven't you read the U.S. Constitution?" Pleakley gave a slight pause waiting for Jumba's answer, "It's fascinating."

Jumba couldn't help but grin. Pleakley sure had his mood swings, "Throw the book at me? Ha! Please be reasonable."

"Well, excuse me, but I just wanted to state my rights Mr. Grumpy Capturer Pants! Prisoners have their rights too you know." Jumba rolled his eyes at this comment. How he knew what it was like to be a prisoner. Intergalactic Prison or ex-wife?

"Gaw! You are not prisoner. Why would I want to do that? Never seen you this upset. You were not upset last night or even this morning. Now, bam!" Jumba let go of Pleakley, turned him around, and clapped his own hands to get the point across. Pleakley was still sobbing, but blushing at the same time. _Why am I staying on stinky, primitive, water planet with moody alien_? Jumba thought to himself.

"I told you, _Jumba_ , it's just the ohana leaving. Now, let me go inside and watch my nine o'clock soap before I miss a second of it and then I can't understand a word that they're saying for the rest of the season." A forced grin appeared on Pleakley's face, though he seemed to be calming down. This made Jumba feel less worried.

"They are not _permanently_ leaving. And, besides, I'm still here and Nani and David are just down street. Are you sure you don't want to be talking about this? Can come inside and watch?" Jumba mentioned even though he didn't really want to listen to Pleakley crying more; soap operas really got to Pleakley's emotions. Despite this, he figured Pleakley would certainly accept in this calmer state.

"Naww… you watching a soap opera? Palease, you'll just change the channel to monsters gone bad or something... Just leave me alone." Pleakley snidely demanded as he trudged up the stairs past Jumba, whom had a surprised look on his face.

"Okay…? If you need me, I'll be in evil genius lab in Bed Not Breakfast creating more evil genius experiments. Take this in?" Jumba handed Pleakley the "Cousins" book.

"Whatever... Just don't let the little monsters destroy the furniture, get near the guests or _me._ " Pleakley slammed the front door, turned up his favorite hospital soap 'The Sunnier Day' and started crying his eye out.

Hearing this all through the open porch window and peering in, Jumba couldn't help but be slightly worried about his friend once again. He figured he'd give Pleakley the alone time he requested, but he'd better keep an eye on him through his lab window.


	4. The Secret

It was now after sunset and Jumba, in lab coat, decided he would go in to check on Pleakley, eat some dinner, and go to bed. That simple. He had gotten a lot of work done that day. Created the DNA, RNA, and saliva of 799, and catered to the bossy bed not breakfast guests.

"Open this door!" Jumba fisted in anger as he realized Pleakley had locked the front door sometime within the last few hours. No answer to his request was to be heard. Just the talking of Pleakley with some of his experiments in an E.A.R.W.A.X. Okra circle session. These seemed to happen more frequently, making Jumba even more surprised by the session. Yes, it was an effective mechanism to make his experiments good, but why do it with already good experiments? Besides, Pleakley was always calling Jumba's experiments little monsters when he had the chance; how that got to Jumba sometimes. Why would Pleakley want to spend time with them, let alone listen, hug, cry, and throw chairs with them?

"I'm sorry, but we strictly do NOT allow late comers in on our _important_ sessions. It disrupts flow of outbursts and confidentiality. Please _courteously_ knock on the door after the session is over!" Pleakley yelled.

"Over!" Sample crowed.

"Whaaa… PLEAKLEY! But, I'm gonna freeze out here!" Jumba jerked on the doorknob with all his strength.

"In Kauai, a tropical paradise," Pleakley laughed, "It averages a perfect 71 degree Fahrenheit temperature at night. Sit out and enjoy the view!"

"Is cold for home planet. And not seeing view you speak of. It's dark!"

Jumba was answered by Pleakley hurling a lit flashlight out the window. "AND BE QUIET!"

That gave Jumba an idea. With a laugh, he waltzed over to the open porch window with flashlight shining on his mischievous face like people telling all those scary stories. At the sight, a little gasp and slight smile escaped Pleakley's mouth. Or was it Okra's? Hard to tell.

"You don't want me to get my blaster out. Do you? Could harm a population of mosquitoes…" Jumba hinted scarily knowing this would likely get a response and some action. But, any such response was interrupted by the honk of Finder, whom was sitting on the sill pointing at Jumba. With a 'what is this all about' look sewn across Jumba's face, blushing Pleakley immediately took Finder in his arms along with Jumba's flashlight and shut the window almost crushing Jumba's fingertips.

Oddly enough, Pleakley then began flailing his arms and babbling something to Jumba through the window, but Jumba could hardly make out what he was saying. "I blah blah to leave blah alone blah you blah come blah ruin Okra blah blah blah threat blah mosquitos…" Meanwhile, Squeak and Nosy fought for the place on the shelf below the window, blabbing as well. Behind them was a chaos of other experiments including Spike, Bonnie, Richter, Clyde, Sample, Woops, Finder, and Yaarp.

Jumba scratched his head and three hairs quizzically. "I guess it's a pizza night." He took out his intergalactic cell phone Pleakley had gotten him and wrung up the pizza place down the street sliding up against the exterior of the house. Still, there was audible chaos inside. "Yes, that'll be it. Eleven cheese pizzas. No…" CRASH! "No drinks…" BOOM! "No dessert…" CRACK! "Yes…thanks."

Jumba closed his cell phone and let out a sigh as he still heard Pleakley yelling and the 'little monsters' destroying the place. Hadn't Pleakley said to keep the little monsters away from him and not to let them wreck the furniture? How hypocritical. It still baffled him why Pleakley set up these Okra sessions anyway. He sat there pondering why.

After about ten minutes, the pizza guy arrived. He didn't see Jumba sitting on the porch and Jumba was so deep in thought that the guy just knocked on the door. There was finally a moment of silence – inside and out. Jumba got up from the porch and confronted the guy, giving him one of Pleakley's 28 credit cards.

"You having a party?" The guy questioned looking in the direction of the window and handing Jumba the pizzas.

Jumba turned around to find all of the experiments pressing their faces against the window. Apparently, Pleakley was trying to pry them from the window, so he could see. If it was Jumba knocking, boy did he have it coming. But, Woops finally gave in revealing Pleakley's still mad face. "Why yes, very excited bunch, going to have loads of fun." Jumba evilly chuckled having a hard time controlling himself and his evil geniusness.

"Well, enjoy yourselves?" the pizza guy said as he gave Jumba a confused look and darted off to his car. Jumba waved as he made his way to the mail slot on the door.

"Who's hungry?!" Jumba announced peaking his four eyes inside the house. A thunder of tiny feet got louder and louder. This sound turned into struggling as the experiments fought through the experiment-pervious contraption Pleakley had placed on the door to prevent Jumba from entering.

"No…! No…! NOOOOOO!" Pleakley screamed as the door flew open and the experiments devoured the pizza Jumba had set on the 'aloha' welcome mat. Getting their fill, the experiments decided to leave for the night. This left Jumba and Pleakley looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity, one in the darkness and one in the light. One with arms to side and one with arms crossed.

"Look, they left some pizza for us," Jumba smiled as he knelt down, picked up, and carried a boxed half of pizza over to Pleakley. He looked rather helpless – Okra wig and dress was in knots, eye bloodshot, and makeup disaster.

"I don't want any." Pleakley inaudibly choked.

"What you say?" Jumba questioned leaning in closer.

"I said I don't want any," a little louder.

"But it's your favorite."

"No it isn't. Ribs are my favorite. You should know that…"

"Well… take one. Must be hungry. Probably as much as my precious experiments."

"No… and correction: they're little monsters…"

"Take one." Jumba insisted inching the box closer to Pleakley's hands scowling a bit by the insult.

"No…" Pleakley looked down to the ground acting as if he was to cry again.

"Take one."

"No…"

"Just take one," Jumba sniffled. He was playing Pleakley's own game, startling Pleakley into surrendering.

"Fine. I'll take one…"

"Monster drool or non-monster drool?"

"Of course the non-monster drool. Blech… who do you think I am?"

Jumba handed him a non-monster drool slice. "I'll take monster drool," Jumba grinned evilly. "Lacking that in nutrition…"

"Gross and thanks…" smirked Pleakley giving off a radiant orange blush. Not noticing this, Jumba moseyed on in past the pizza boxes, locks, and chains into the light and sat on one half of the sliced couch.

"Sit…" Jumba urged patting the other side. Pleakley did so, but forget to shut the door. Maybe he wanted the mosquitos to come inside. "Let's talk…"

"About what…?" Pleakley queried innocently as if nothing had happened today. He held his slice up in the air while Jumba was gobbling his down.

"About anything…" Awkward moment of silence. Jumba looked over at Pleakley, still not eating his pizza. "Do you trust Jumba? Non-monster drool?" Another awkward moment of silence. Man, Pleakley had so many sides to him. Just when Jumba thought he had mastered one, he was left annoyed and speechless by another.

"Do… you… uhhh…..?" Pleakley struggled having a hard time finding words. He became relieved as his phone rang out of the blue. It covered up his stutters and his attempt to show how he felt – felt for the man that had been around him every waking night and day for years. Tell him how darn in love he was. Let him _feel_ how darn in love he was. Caress his…

"Going to answer that little one…?"

"No…" Pleakley choked out embarrassedly thinking about the beautiful image he had created in his mind. _Little one… little one… Sick! What is wrong with me! He's my best friend!_

"Can Jumba answer it?"

"NO!" Pleakley screamed almost throwing his slice into Jumba's face.

"Fine… Scared that it's your mother again, right? Seems to be calling a lot lately… What's it about this time?"

"That isn't WHY!..." Pleakley screamed as he placed his pizza slice back in the box and crossed his arms. How that Jumba could correctly predict his life.

The ringing was transferred to Jumba's phone.

"No! Don't answer it…" In the past, his mother had figured out Jumba's cell phone number and instead reached Jumba when Pleakley didn't answer.

"Hello?" Jumba questioned with a slight laugh as jealous Pleakley turned his back to Jumba in distress.

"Hi Jumba!"

"Aww…not-so-little-girl! Did you get to G.A.C.C. yet?" Stitch and Angel were in the background.

"Yes we did! 15 hours and 55 seconds to spare!"

"Good! Did you call bigger girl yet?"

"That's why I'm calling you. I'm not going to call her until about 14 hours from now, if you know what I mean…"

Jumba nodded understandingly. "Ya… bigger girl can sure turn into nasty devil. Especially when activating H-drive or disobeying orders. Found that out the hard way…"

"But that would be unethical!" Pleakley interrupted turning around with a mad face.

"Oh Pleakley! There you are! Why didn't you answer your phone?" Lilo concernedly questioned.

Not knowing how to answer her question, Pleakley stuttered for a second. Jumba gave him an evil grin. "Well…I…I…I was eating some pizza!" Pleakley immediately picked up his slice that he had placed in the box earlier and started gulping it down. He looked like a starved squirrel. Jumba looked satisfied as Pleakley went in for another.

"Okay. Well I better let you guys go. Need to start unpacking."

"Ih." Angel and Stitch agreed.

"Okay…" Jumba started as he was suddenly interrupted by Pleakley for the second time.

"Call your sister in the morning young lady." Pleakley finished as Jumba gave Pleakley a strange look. Pleakley still had his squirrel cheeks.

"Okay," Lilo grunted. "Aloha!"

"Aloha," the two aliens said together as both ends hung up.

"Pleakley, why are you so mad at Jumba lately?" Jumba said straight out as he closed his phone. Pleakley was visibly stunned by Jumba's unforeseen bluntness. He swallowed all the pizza in his mouth with one big, nervous gulp having a hard time finding words. "I know I agreed to long, monotonous list of upsetting, mean adjectives, but you know Jumba not really to be meaning that right…? …sorry that I ruined your talkity talk session… Pleakley, talk to me… "

Should he tell him, should he tell him? He had lost all confidence now, squirming nervously.

"I know why he won't talk to you Jumba! He is in l…" Nosy said as he came parading through the open door snapping on a pizza crust left by the other little monsters. Jumba gave his experiment the 'what, what!' look. He'd been awaiting this type of answer all day. But, to Jumba's annoyance, Pleakley immediately darted over to Nosy, shut his mouth, and with surprising strength shot Nosy out the door into the palm trees.

"And stay out!" Pleakley shouted slamming the front door and starting to cry. Jumba decided to leave the matter where it was, no matter how much he wanted to know. If Pleakley didn't want it to come out, then it wouldn't.

"Come here, my little one," Jumba consoled as he spread out his arms wide offering a big hug. _My little one_. To Jumba's amazement, Pleakley took up his offer, almost running into his embrace. "I want you to know that I'm here for you whatever it may being." Jumba paused leaving Pleakley blushing - a blush Jumba never seemed to realize. "Let's go to bed – is late."

Without a word, the two walked up the stairs to their bunkbed bedroom. It almost didn't make any sense anymore that they were to share the same bedroom and bunkbed - the _same bed_ for that matter. They had the whole house to themselves now, including Nani's and Lilo's and Stitch's old rooms. The emptiness seemed so weird.

"Night," Jumba smiled down at his little one as he climbed up to his slouching top bunk.

"Night," Pleakley sniffled as he rolled up into a ball amongst his pink and white flowered sheets.

When Jumba seemed to stop tossing and turning into his indented bed figure, Pleakley unraveled, hastily smeared on a coating of lipstick, and without any thinking kissed the underside of Jumba's bunk. The bunk wasn't going to lash back, not going to run away in horror. Nor give up their entire friendship or place a restraining order. It felt so good, but yet it could never – and I mean _never_ \- happen.


	5. The Soap Opera

As Jumba was expecting, Pleakley cried the entire night keeping himself at least partially awake. But, finally, at dawn, the sobbing completely stopped. Jumba was content and rested as he thought Pleakley was sound asleep and in peace in dreamland.

Reality was quite the opposite. Pleakley had snuck downstairs in his orange flower moo moo to start cleaning the mess the little monsters had made the previous day. In many instances, cleaning was like a game to Pleakley. He used it to break away from the world, channel his many emotions, and get rid of them. So, he nailed the couch, glued some vases and chairs, repaired the lamp, sewed some cushions and pillows, vacuumed the floor, and dusted all of the furniture. Amazingly, the living room was back to normal within a few hours. Exhausted and with Jumba still upstairs asleep, Pleakley lounged on the couch and turned on his favorite nine o'clock soap.

It began by touching on some main points from the episode Pleakley had watched yesterday. A man named Henry was trying to save a beautiful lady named Wendy who had fallen into a deep coma. The man, not being a doctor, took her to the nearest hospital. The story left her in a hospital bed with the man by her side. They were in love, to say the least.

" _Doctor, how long will she be in coma?" the man cried dramatically._

" _Could be hours… could be forever," the doctor said nonchalantly._

" _Are you sure? She was fine this morning."_

" _Yes I am sure. I see these things all the time."_

" _Is there anything I can do?"_

" _I don't think there is much you can do."_

" _Is there anything I can do?" The man repeated again not wanting that answer._

" _Just sit here and wait."_

" _Is there anything you can do?"_

" _I'm afraid not. Just wait it out."_

 _At that very moment, the heart beat monitor slowly quieted. Wendy had died instantaneously in the heat of it all. Henry leaned in and kissed the dead corpse impetuously without stop._

Pleakley couldn't take it anymore. All he could do was let out a piercing cry, which woke up his sleeping friend. Half asleep, Jumba fell off of the top bunk with a crash and promptly searched Pleakley's bed for the little alien. No one there. He looked at the time - 9:27 a.m. Darn it, Pleakley had been watching his soap opera. With a hurry, Jumba scurried down the stairs to find Pleakley sobbing on the sofa.

"Is everything being okay?" Jumba asked taking deep breaths and putting his hands on his not so awoken knees. He didn't even notice the fixed and cleaned room.

"WENDY DIED IN A COMA!" Pleakley winced with regained energy as he pointed to the screen of the couple making out. Maybe it was just the fact that his own real name was used that upset him the most – or maybe it was his past.

"Doesn't look dead to me…" Jumba pointed out with a blush – he never blushed.

"She is too dead! Look how pale she is, no heartbeat. Look there goes the doctor to call the funeral home…THEY'RE WHEELING HER OUT."

"Look at that crazy man..." Jumba beamed evilly as he sat down next to Pleakley amused as if it were a comedy.

"Look, they're putting her in a coffin…!"

"There goes the man!" Jumba excitedly finished as the man was buried alive with the woman. At this point, the program was over for the day and Pleakley had nothing better to do but to cry. "Oh, come here. It's just a show…" Jumba comforted, but Pleakley was back to giving Jumba the silent treatment. "Let's talk about it…?" He was beginning to sound like Nani when Lilo was upset.

"Let's not…"

"Are you sure… it's always you that wants to blab all day, not me…"

"Yes I am sure…" with a scowl.

"Are you positively sure…?"

"Yes…"

"Okay…? Like always, you know where to find me…I'm always available." Jumba patted Pleakley on the shoulder, almost knocking him over. "Besides… need to be coming out soon… bossy bed not breakfast guests are starting to wonder where advertised pret… – I mean – ugly one-eyed maid is …" Not expecting to say it this way, Jumba embarrassedly walked out of the room and shut the front door behind him without another look at Pleakley.


	6. We're Just Friends

"Jumba thinks I'm … pretty..." Pleakley smiled to himself, though it could not be seen behind a pillow he now masked over his face. Jumba had always told him he was ugly. Even told Lilo when she was younger that the only real reason someone would be attracted to him would be because one of his experiments was on the loose, like Hunkahunka or Amnesio "…pretty…" Pleakley repeated again playing with the word. He was mesmerized, floating on air, under a spell.

Boy he had a lot to trash now and Jumba's recent wording wasn't helping. It kept ringing in his mind "Pretty… pretty…pretty…." Pleakley repeated aloud. Maybe it was just a new little monster behind it all. One that made someone in contact with the experiment obsess over the words others said about them into the state of mental annoyance and interplanetary chaos. Assuming this was the case or it was just a fluke, Pleakley rubbed the comment off, though it was hard.

Pleakley steadily walked up the stairs deciding to drain some more of his extra special feelings for Jumba into cleaning their room. It had really been a pigs' sty lately. Food wrappers from their stash lined the walls, experiment drawings all over the place, clothes everywhere. You could barely even walk through it. His plan was to start with the trash and then end with the rest. Easier said than done, not much of a plan.

After about a half an hour, Pleakley finished cleaning up all of the trash – two full, black garbage bags. Satisfied, he placed them out in the hallway to be taken out later. Now the more fun part: clothes! As he put away each outfit or dress, he tried it on, even if it was Jumba's, acting as if he was a fashion model. His absolute favorite was a bright blue and pink Hawaiian dress he hardly ever wore, but loved dearly. In fact, it was the first dress he had bought on this planet. He kept it on for his own amusement and waltzed over to the full length mirror cradled next to the door to evaluate his appearance. It was him alright. Dressed in a dress, _again_. It used to be a disguise and a joke, like everyone still saw it as. But it was him and he liked it.

Eventually, the floor began to get much cleaner. He could finally see the hardwood and even some of his favorite jewelry and makeup he had been trying to find for ages. Next was the papers: the boring papers. Most of them were Jumba's, but some were Pleakley's credit card bills, mostly overdue. "Pleakley, Jumba, Jumba, Pleakley, Jumba…" Pleakley called out as he sorted the papers at the desk Jumba used to work on; a few years ago, Jumba had moved his lab back into their ship for good claiming it would let him take care of guests and feed his ego at the same time. Also, there was no more need to be convenient for Lilo and Stitch to badger him about the experiments they had found on the island.

Next, Pleakley sorted through his own little pile deciphering each. "Overdue, overdue, overdue, overdue, due soon…" Not knowing how to sort Jumba's pile, Pleakley decided to put all of Jumba's papers into the lower drawer he always saw Jumba putting papers into. Seemed logical to him.

As he opened the drawer, Pleakley had a hard time finding an empty space to put all of Jumba's newer papers. Consequently, he decided to nicely stack the existing papers into piles to allow for more room. Maybe he would thank him later? But, there was one problem. Something kept catching his eye on all of the older papers. _All were addressed to him or contained his name._

Out of curiosity, Pleakley placed Jumba's newer papers on top of the dresser and took all of the older papers back to his lower bunkbed. Pleakley arranged them according to date, if not already, thinking it would make a difference. The very first one read:

 _/June 16, 2002_

 _Dear whomever it may concern,_

 _Just got caught a few days ago for one of my evil genius experiments. Never caught me for the other 625. Must have finally located my secret evil genius lab. Anyway, I'm now on this stinky water planet thanks to 626 escaping here. That no good councilwoman sent me with this tiny, wimpy, bossy, one-eyed, three-legged noodle thing I'm supposed to call Pleakley. All he does is get in the way when I'm trying to capture 626 and gain my freedom back. I'll never get out of prison. Probably won't even leave this cruddy planet._

 _At least I get some entertainment. Last night, Pleakley got his ugly head practically chewed off by 626 at some weird, primitive restaurant. Still has destructive tendencies, which is expected. Getting back to the point, Pleakley, thinking he is pretty earth female, looked ugly before and after. Laugh my head off. Later that night, Pleakley got bitten by millions of mosquitos. He's all for saving them. Doesn't seem like he likes them anymore. Has hilariously lasting bumps all over his body. Can't wait for more entertainment._

 _Dr. Jumba Jookiba_

Looking at the contents of this letter, Pleakley scowled in anger at this mockery and barbarism. How could Jumba say that kind of stuff about him? Even calling his pain and torture entertainment? How dare him! Still, Pleakley was dying with fascination about what the next letters would hold, good or bad. A few ones after were finally specifically addressed to him. Possibly some improvement?

 _October 31, 2003_

 _Dear Pleakley,_

 _Sometimes you are so crazy I can't control myself. You always try all these fancy Earth customs with fascination – something I could never do, especially not on my own. I guess it takes being an Earth expert. Anyways, today, you kept sewing weird costumes for this Halloween custom thingy. When I didn't like one, no madness, just made some more! Takes patience and creativity to do that. The first one with you in big, shiny pink and white dress was good. Not so comfy for me though…earth female's clothes must be better… sure look fancier. Don't know why my mind forces me to write this stuff down. Sort of embarrassing sometimes._

 _Anyways, take care and keep being yourself. Your friend,_

 _Jumba_

Pleakley couldn't help but smile at this letter. He hugged it as if it was Jumba himself. "Jumba thinks I'm patient, creative, and funny!" Pleakley exclaimed aloud getting up from his bed and jumping about. It was like they had just made a momentous leap in their relationship, like Pleakley wanted deep down. Why didn't Jumba actually give Pleakley these letters? They didn't seem so evil, actually kind of nice. Love letters!

 _November 7, 2003_

 _Dear Pleakley,_

 _As you know, 501 and 502 were the talk of the ohana today. Competition and bet of catching one first was fun, but after a while, not so fun. Even for evil genius. Weirdly enough, I like working as a team with little girl, Stitch, and especially you. That's when stuff gets done. Like 502 squirting lava for 501 to cool to make land, rather surprisingly. Do opposites do that a lot?_

 _Your friend,_

 _Jumba_

 _P.S. I really enjoyed dancing the Glocknar with you. Fun. Should do some other time? Not so long though._

Pleakley almost broke into a fit of laughter as he remembered that moment he had almost forgot. "Yes, Jumba, should do some other time," Pleakley agreed thinking about what the rest of the letter meant. Did Jumba want to be a team – a couple – with Pleakley?

 _February 14, 2004_

 _Dear Pleakley,_

 _I'm feeling feelings I've never felt before, about you. But, I want you to hear the truth. I always give you the truth._

 _When people got pecked by Hunkahunka today and looked at you, they flakily fell in love with you. Deep, deep down, where I've never felt before, I felt this ache, this pain, this jealousy. I'm not sure what this is. Just a sign of indigestion…or is this love? Do I… love you… Pleakley? That's impossible._

 _Regards,_

 _Jumba_

The relationship was crumbled. Crying and shouting, Pleakley thumbed through more recent letters seeing if Jumba would actually realize love could happen between them. Was it all downhill from there? It couldn't be, it couldn't be… Pleakley found the last letter. It was yesterday. _When did Jumba write a love letter to me yesterday?_ Pleakley thought to himself.

 _August 28, 2012_

 _Dear my little one-eyed friend,_

 _Ohana left, which left you without something. I don't know what it is. You've been so overemotional - crying, screaming, quiet, and the works. Breaks my heart, if I had one. How can I get through to you? I'm worried. I don't know what to do. Even if I did, I probably couldn't do it. Is it just ohana leaving? Or is it something else? More complex? Something about me and how you feel for me? Do you hate me? Want me to go back to Kweltikwan or Turo? Or, you want to leave, go to Plogonar? I want to know. I'm open to anything. Anything to keep this ohana – only one I got. I want to be part of your ohana. I want to be your friend. That's how I want it to stay._

 _I hope soon I will find my answers._

 _Jumba_

And with that, Pleakley fell to his bed surrounded by Jumba's letters. He clutched the last one to his two hearts, of course found in one of his legs, permanently heartbroken.


	7. 9-1-1

Wanting to make sure Pleakley got some nutritious lunch, Jumba decided to take a break from work. He walked up the porch steps carrying a sack of stinky mangos the bed not breakfast guests didn't eat for the day. There were more than usual. Would make for a good snack or even lunch.

Jumba reached for the front door knob expecting it to be locked like last time, especially after this morning. But, astonishingly, the door was unlocked. "Progress!" Jumba smiled to himself as he looked around to discover Pleakley had cleaned the house. Finally. Pleakley seemed to be more productive than yesterday.

"Pleakley! I have stinky mangoes!" Jumba announced looking in the kitchen and the downstairs area. No Pleakley and no answer. Maybe there was no progress after all; he was receiving the silent treatment again. "Pleakley?" Jumba called as he walked up the stairs to their bedroom. Still no answer, not even a go away. "Don't tell me you blasted off to Plogonar… aww Pleakley?!" Jumba called again with relief as he saw that Pleakley was just taking a nap in bed. He was probably as tired as Jumba. They both hardly got any sleep last night.

Jumba walked closer to awaken his sleeping friend, but then he saw what was all over the floor, Pleakley's bed, and Pleakley himself. His own handwritten letters. Jumba stood there speechless dropping the mangos to the ground. They splattered all over the floor, like his life right now.

This was going to get real complicated. What was he going to say to Pleakley once he woke him up or Pleakley woke up himself? How would Pleakley react? How would he himself react? What would happen to their relationship? What would happen to their ohana? Or, would it be fine – nothing to worry about? Jumba thought not. Why was he thinking this!? Nothing in those letters would get rid of their relationship! Just letters between two good old pals, right?

Knowing Pleakley would wake up eventually and hoping for the slim probability, Jumba trekked through mountains of history and reached Pleakley on the other side. He noticed Pleakley held the most recent letter. Maybe Pleakley read through all of them?

"Pleakley…" Jumba called giving his friend a gentle nudge. Pleakley's eye didn't open and he didn't move. "Pleakley…" Jumba called louder giving a much harder nudge. Still nothing. Getting very worried, Jumba shook Pleakley with a little bit more force. Maybe he was in deep sleep after working so hard. But, still nothing. Desperate, Jumba gently opened up Pleakley's lone eye. Letting go, it came to a shut.

"…PLEAKLEY…!" Jumba cried hugging his defenseless friend's body with endless tears. Not being an actual doctor, but wearing a lab coat, Jumba could only tell that Pleakley was still breathing. Otherwise, Jumba didn't know what to do. He was losing it himself. Should he call intergalactic hospital? Take him back to Plogonar? Take him to Earth hospital? With immediacy, Jumba reached for his intergalactic cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. Much easier than remembering the lengthy intergalactic phone numbers.

"Hello, what's your emergency?" A calm voice began on the other side.

"FRIEND…NOT RESPONDING…NEED HELP NOW!" Jumba screamed helplessly in panic.

"Calm down, sir. Is this a medical emergency?"

Jumba took a deep breath holding Pleakley's hand for pulse. "Uh…huh…"

"Is your address 519 Kuanaloa Street?"

"Uh…huh…"

"Name?"

"Mine, Jumba Jookiba… My friend Pleakley." Jumba sobbed.

"We're sending ambulance immediately. Tell me more about your emergency."

"Well, I came into house and couldn't find friend anywhere… House was cleaned though. He must have been cleaning all morning. When I looked up in bedroom, I found him lying on the bed unconscious..." Jumba let out a cry. "Won't respond to anything – even raising of eye lid or my screaming. He's breathing though and appears to have normal skin color."

"Is he still breathing?"

Still holding Pleakley's wrist for pulse and seeing visible thrusts in Pleakley's chest, Jumba immediately responded, "Uh…huh…"

"Is there anything around him that provides evidence for his medical state?"

Jumba looked all over the room. His letters. Had he killed Pleakley? No, it just couldn't! "No…" Jumba slowly responded in denial.

"Is your front door unlocked?

"Yes…?"

"Stay with him and keep monitoring his breathing and heartrate. Do not move him to any other place. Keep him where he is."

"Okay…"

"The ambulance is along its way…"

"Okay…"

The ambulance arrived within five minutes at the Pelekai home. The siren echoed through the beautiful, misty Kauai hills making all the tropical birds fly in the opposite direction. There was a firm knock at the door followed by the thudding of footsteps.

"Jumba, where are you?" a member of the crew questioned.

"Up here... Go straight past the kitchen, take a left, and then go straight up stairs. Then, keep going straight into the first room you see…" Jumba shouted sniffling to himself. He was amazed at how he had practically memorized the place.

The thud suddenly got louder and a team of four came storming into the room. "Do you have any more information or did anything new happen?" The same voice began. It was a tall male.

"No… same to me," Jumba still cried.

"Okay," the guy began as he delegated tasks to the rest of his crew. They didn't even notice the letters; they just trampled on them. Meanwhile, Jumba backed himself into a corner of the room and began crying into his hands – horrified and in trauma by the incident and his emotions. Why was he acting this way? He didn't know he could cry. To Jumba, it felt like the day he and 626 were dragged out of his evil genius laboratory. Times ten plus a million new emotions.

After a few minutes, they had successfully gotten Pleakley strapped on a gurney. They wheeled him down the stairs and loaded him into their ambulance hooking him up to whatever they thought was necessary. Jumba had a hard time getting up, practically stumbled down the stairs, and lethargically got into the ambulance. Anything else that could have been said was substituted by the sound of the sirens.


	8. Nightmare

Quickly, the team wheeled Pleakley through the automatic opening doors, past the front emergency room desk, and into the elevator. Jumba lagged behind still stunned and exasperated. People were looking and eavesdropping in on all of the commotion.

"We'll be on the eighth floor. Room 800," one team member shouted back to Jumba as the elevator began to close. "Please check in at the front desk."

"Okay…" Jumba murmured with a wave as if he weren't going to see Pleakley ever again. He turned to the front desk.

"Good afternoon sir. Here's the paperwork you will need to fill out. What is your name?" the lady at the front desk said as she placed the clipboard of paperwork on the counter for Jumba's reach. She then fiddled with her computer.

"Jumba Jookiba…" He took a pen and the clipboard ready to turn away. He thought that was all.

"And, what is your relationship to the patient?"

Hearing this, Jumba completely stood there baffled. "And why do you need that?" in a offended tone.

"We keep it on record for security reasons," the lady justified.

 _Friend? Husband? Friend? Husband? Friend? Husband? Un-friend?_ Jumba thought to himself feeling like he was being swatted in a torturous, mental tennis court. "Friend…" Jumba muttered sticking to middle ground, but not keeping to his Earth disguise Pleakley had always forced upon him.

"Okay. Thanks sir. You may have a seat over in the waiting room to fill out your paperwork. Help yourself to the beverages. There's juices, coffee, and even hot chocolate."

"Thanks… Is there anything called 'to be waking up from this nightmare'…" Jumba said almost angrily not liking her niceness He sat down awkwardly in a chair and filled out the lengthy, pressing paperwork trying to fill it out as best he could. Male or _female_ …? Medications? Constipation? Sicknesses? He didn't know much _about_ Pleakley's past medical history, so that was pretty much left blank. The insurance section was also left blank. Jumba and Pleakley were never big fans for insurance.

"Thanks," the lady said taking the clipboard Jumba had given back to her. "You can go upstairs to the…"


	9. The Soap Opera of the Living

Eighth floor – the floor of the critically conditioned. There were nurses and doctors fluttering the halls and people practically functioning off of machines. This was accompanied by an eerie, solemn silence. Jumba walked down the hallway looking to the ground. He never imagined he would be here today - at the gateway of death, pain, and torture; everything his experiments once inflicted. How he used to want to wreak that kind of havoc on everyone and everything.

After surpassing the room and turning back, he reached room 800. With a shy knock on the open door, Jumba stumbled in. There was a doctor and a nurse hovering over a lone, small bed. It reminded Jumba of the time he and Pleakley were doctor and nurse, respectively, to cure Stitch from the pollution he had eaten. But, that silly memory faded as he saw what appeared to be Pleakley hooked up to endless machinery and IV packs.

"Hello, you must be Jumba?" the doctor greeted shaking Jumba's hand. Jumba nodded not saying anything. "I'm Doctor Jones and this is Nurse Richards. We've been analyzing Ms. Pleakley here and we've concluded that she is in a coma." Jumba's legs gave out. The nurse, seeing this ahead of time, immediately moved a chair to catch him. He was secretively crying as he strangely reminisced this morning's soap opera. It used to be funny, but now it wasn't. All he could think of was Pleakley's response to it. WENDY DIED IN COMA…WENDY DIED IN COMA…WENDY DIED IN COMA…

"AHHHHH!" Jumba shouted covering his ears, shocking himself by that emotional flurry.

"Are you okay, sir?" the doctor consoled.

"Yes, I'm fine…really…" Jumba quickly flicked away his tears thinking of the man in the soap, "Just… too much..."

"Well, that's certainly understandable. Also, we've been analyzing and her anatomy is quite strange, is this …"

"S-he got blowed up by a nuclear bomb and was chewed up by a genetic – I mean – koala." Jumba blurted trying to partially keep to their Earth disguise. He wasn't as good as camouflaging as Pleakley. Had he put that on the form downstairs? Woops…

"I'm very sorry… Well, let's discuss treatment." The nurse opened the window and closed the door. Seeing the sun, Jumba got a little optimistic and started to calm down. "We can't do much, just hook Wendy up and hope for the best. That works for some coma patients. They'll wake up on their own over time."

"How long until they wake up?"

"Could be days, even years," the doctor responded as Jumba gave out a humph. "It's impossible to predict how long a certain patient will remain in coma. But we do know that the longer the patient is in coma, the worse the complications, which could include brain damage or disability," the doctor elaborated, "Our analyses show that Wendy's coma was not induced by depletion of oxygen, infection, intoxication or drugs, or injury. All of our other patients' comas are generally induced by one of these ways. This is what surprised us. We don't know the cause of Wendy's coma. And without the cause, we can't come up with a sure plan to treat it."

Jumba sat in the chair trying to soak up all of the new information, but slightly appreciating the doctor's honesty and comfort. "Any other options?"

"We could air transport her to one of the greatest hospital's in treating comas. You see, we have the crucial equipment in order to keep her alive, but we don't have the latest and greatest equipment like the best have. These are about your only options."

There was some silence as Jumba thought. "I don't know why…but I think it would be better if Pleakley – I mean Wendy - stays here," Jumba decided looking at Pleakley's emotionless face. A surprised look appeared across the doctor's.

"Well, if you're sure... Like I previously said, we can't do much about it – just wait it out. We can go about another course of action anytime if you change your mind."

"I'm sure…" Jumba said looking again at Pleakley and signing the contract that wouldn't make the hospital liable for Pleakley's death, if it were to happen.

"Take care Jumba. We'll be checking in on Ms. Pleakley periodically to see how she is responding."

"Okay…thanks…"

The door came to a shut leaving Jumba alone with Pleakley. He got up from his chair and walked over to him like he did when he first laid eyes on him – in his jail cell – but with tears streaking from his four eyes. It was almost like the fear and emotions swapped between the two. "I'm so sorry… Pleakley…" Jumba choked running a hand through the smaller alien's soft orange wig. "I'm going to do everything to save you…u…u."


	10. The Return of---

"Awww…well…look at what we have here. That mumbling, no good idiot scientist Jumba is all smitten and moping over that hideous Plogonarian. Could be there for days…or years…And look…no one's at home…No annoying earth brat or miserable 626… they're quadrants away in outer space. And what does this mean?" Dr. Jacques Von Hämsterviel evilly laughed sitting in his self-designed jail cell contraption.

Three elated Leroys raised their hands as to answer his question. They along with the others had created a secret tunnel to Hämsterviel's lair.

"This is no dopey classroom!" Hämsterviel snapped, "Blurt it out, blurt it out!" There was a frenzy of Tantalog, "One at a time! Try it again!"

"Chunga bey."

"Naga, chunga bey."

"Naga, Naga, chunga bey."

"Naga, Naga, Naga…"

"Stop being so polite! Uhg… you go first!" Hämsterviel pointed to the Leroy on the right. " _And what does this_ _mean_?" Hämsterviel repeated with wickedness.

"Dinko te fabba?" the Leroy said.

"No! No! No!" Hämsterviel screamed as the Leroys broke to the ground laughing, "Stop it! I am not fat-like, I am hamster-like!" Hämsterviel paused as the Leroys stood up and were finally silent. " _As I was saying_ , it means that they are all distracted and that no one will go on experiment rounds. I can turn all of my experiments back to evil and finally destroy my ex-partner for good… _Finally_ shove all that funding I gave him up his patookie... No one can stop me, especially that Earth brat like last time…and I will rule the universe!" The evil laugh filled the room and the linking cells. "We're just going to have to overcome one teensy thing…you genetic creations drop dead to that cruddy Earth tune…! Any suggestions?"

"Ih, Ih, Ih!" The left Leroy announced bouncing up and down.

"And what is it - in language I can better understand?"

"Mutate DNA?"

"No, no, no! Will never work…"

"Ika patootie?"

"No, no, no! I am genius. I am a doctor! Think again!"

"Soundproof earplugs?"

"Hmmm…" Hämsterviel smiled playing with the tip of his gerbil-like tail. "But, how would I make such a thing in jail!" The three Leroys let out a sarcastic huff as they looked up at Hämsterviel who had built that contraption now for the second time. "Well I don't have any soundproof material!"

Not interested in Hämsterviel anymore, the three Leroys sat next to the screen of Jumba and Pleakley in current time. Jumba was still surprisingly crying over Pleakley. "You Leroys are just like worthless blowhard Gantu and that pathetic little hoagie maker. Always taking a break or goofing off… Stop it!" The Leroys didn't listen still watching the screen.

 _"I wish…I wish…you could hear me now Pleakley…when I say … you're the best thing… that ever happened to me."_

"Ugh…yuck! I'm going to turn this insane, blucky reality soap opera off!" Hämsterviel gagged reaching for the remote.

"Naga, naga. Rewind!" a Leroy said.

"And why would I want to see that disaster again?"

"Rewind!"

"Fine, you relentless clone."

 _"I wish…I wish…you could hear me now Pleakley…"_

"Aggaba! Rewind!"

"What is so catchy about that phrase?" Hämsterviel shouted as the Leroy stole his remote. After receiving a cranky grunt from Hämsterviel, the Leroy laid on his stomach replaying the scene.

 _"I wish…I wish…you could hear me now Pleakley… I wish…I wish…you could hear me now Pleakley… I wish…I wish…you could hear me now Pleakley… I wish…I wish…you could hear me now Pleakley… I wish…I wish…you could hear me now Pleakley… I wish…I wish…you could hear me now Pleakley…when I say … you're the best thing that ever happened to me…when I say … you're the best thing that ever happened to me.…when I say … you're the best thing that ever happened to me.…"_ The Leroys let out a laugh. They put in the last part of the phrase to annoy Hämsterviel.

"That's quite enough!" Hämsterviel yelled as he pulled the screen's wiring out.

"Awww…." the Leroys cried in unison.

"Now, are there any ideas about conquering the universe?!"

"Ih, Ih, Ih!"

"What is it? It better be good this time!"

"Soundproof earplugs…"

"You Leroys already said tha…!"

The Leroy came over and whispered in Hämsterviel's ear elaborating as if someone were listening in on their conversation. An evil grin expanded across Hämsterviel's face.

"Fine, we'll go with that plan, unless you Leroys think of a more brilliant idea – not that this one is brilliant..." Hämsterviel's rabbit-like ears twitched, "Quick…I hear the guard coming…go back to your cells!"

The Leroys scuttled through the tunnel system in seconds as they closed their individual routes. Hämsterviel got back into the upside down head lynch position he was supposed to be in. The screen, which now had Jumba answering his ringing phone, was turned back into a portion of the upper jail cell wall. Hämsterviel and the Leroys evilly laughed as the guard stood in front of them.

"Cell check: Hämsterviel and all clones present…."


	11. Circle of Life

"Hi David," Jumba said sitting down in the chair. He was surprised that David was calling him.

"Hi. Nani's been going crazy all morning. She claims that she saw an ambulance heading up the hill on her lunch break. Since you guys were not answering your phones, she sprinted up to the house and found no one there except your cranky customers. I think she is sprinting to the hospital right now. Was that you guys in the ambul…" David began in a concerned voice. He knew his pregnant wife shouldn't be out and about running all over town. Boy, he still needed to get her a cell phone, babies on the way in all.

"Yes that was us…"

David was quiet for a second. He hoped Nani was wrong and that Jumba would say that they were both out shopping or surfing some choice waves. "Awe…Is everything okay?"

"Not really…Pleakley is in a …coma." Jumba mumbled having a hard time admitting to this.

"Awe…Well, Nani will likely be there in a second – she is a fast runner pregnant or not. Is there anything you need back at the house? I can get it for you…"

"Pleakley's cell phone and the book of my experiments…oh and my whole evil genius lab."

"You really trust me driving that? The only thing I can drive is the waves…and maybe the lawnmower." Leery David questioned in a surprised voice.

"Yes…In fact, it's just like ridin' the waves, except you don't stand up and you steer with your hands…and it is even more primitive than a surfboard," relatively unexperienced wave-rider Jumba tried to convince. He knew an avid surfer like David couldn't resist undertaking such a claim.

"Awe! I'll be there wikiwiki! See you soon Jumba! Aloha!" David happily said not thinking about the practicality of this endeavor at the minute. He was quite gullible at times.

"Aloh..." Jumba ended as Nani came bursting through the door. The calm mood from David suddenly changed.

"JUMBA! Why haven't you been answering your phone…I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK!" Nani panted clutching her belly and stumbling into the room. Jumba got up and offered her his seat. His large body hid Pleakley as he faced her. He clutched the bed's railing with his plump hands.

"I've been riding in crampy ambulance, filling out lengthy unnecessary paperwork, listening to doctor that can't do anything, and talking to …"

"That's no excuse to not let the ohana know! What happened anyway?" Nani got up from the chair and forced her way past Jumba. "What happened to Pleakley!?"

"He's in a coma…Nothing doctor can do…" Jumba mumbled. It was much easier to admit it the second time.

"How did this happen!?"

"I don't know!"

" _Again_ , how did this happen!?"

" _I don't know!_ "

Not satisfied by this answer, Nani let out a frustrated scream. It intensified as she saw Jumba and Pleakley's spaceship deathly plummeting past the window. She ran to the window and saw it landing behind the hospital with flames coming out of its rear. "WHO IS FLYING YOUR SHIP?" Nani gasped grasping her throbbing belly with stress.

"A friend of mine…" Jumba said as he nervously scratched his three hairs on his head.

"You don't have any friends besides Pleakley and that hamster-gerbil-rabbit-rat… thing…"

"I do too have friends!" Jumba said sensitively. "Hämsterviel is certainly not one of them, though. He is a liar and a convict!"

"So are you!"

"I am not!"

"So, who's flying the ship?" Nani pointed sternly with a snide grin. Evidence already eliminated Hämsterviel and Pleakley. Who else were his friends? "…David was flying your ship wasn't he…?"

"Why would I make someone, like your wonderful, half terrestrial, half hydrophilic husband, do something like that?!" Jumba growled. Jumba was now standing on one side of Pleakley's bed as Nani stood on the other. He rarely liked making Nani mad, but he couldn't control himself this time. She was really offending him and frankly he wasn't in the mood.

"It wouldn't surprise me since you call yourself an evil genius and you actually let a ten-year-old girl use David's chainsaw!" Nani whined clasping her belly.

"I am evil genius!" Jumba leaned over the bed.

"Ha! I caught you!" Nani leaned into Jumba's face.

"No you didn't. Evil genius doesn't translate to crazy nut who sends ohana into fiery spaceship."

"Yes it does!" Nani clutched her belly more.

"No it doesn't!"

"YES!" clutching even more.

"NO…!"

"I'm here!" David announced waving his smoky arms into the air. He was standing at the entrance of the room with the spaceship keys, the 'Cousins' book, and Pleakley's cell phone in hand. There was a flame starting in his fancy hair.

"THAT DOES IT!" Nani exclaimed making her way to the side of the bed Jumba was standing on. She was planning on whipping his butt, but halfway she almost collapsed to the floor still holding her belly. Luckily, Jumba and David caught her in time.

"ARE YOU FALLING INTO A COMA NANI!? IT MUST BE IN THE AIR!" David cried now noticing Pleakley's condition. David went in to cover his own mouth, but Jumba gave David a weird look.

"No, LOLO! I think I'm having the baby…" Nani moaned looking up at them in fear and pain. "RIGHT NOW!"

"Awe…are you sure? It's nearly a month too early...I didn't even bring the bag with the camera and your things," David tried to calm himself down.

"But, you brought the alien spaceship…?! NOW! Get me a doctor, NOW!"

Not knowing what to say or do, David left angry Nani with Jumba, rocketed to the entrance of the hospital room, and yelled, "HELP! I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER RIGHT NOW!"

Not being the norm on the critically conditioned floor, this sudden event got a surprising amount of attention. The lady at the floor's front desk called down to get Nani's obstetrician. Dr. Jones had wheeled in a bed for Nani to lay down on; it was placed to the right of Pleakley below the window. A nurse came in to make sure Nani had her pain killers and had normal levels. Everything was ready.

Jumba sat in the chair rather attentively watching the whole birth. To him, it was like watching a beautiful Earth horror flick. There was blood and guts everywhere plus violence inflicted by Nani. But instead of death and bones, there was life – pure life. From this, Jumba couldn't help but think about his own early life. Was this how he was born? Probably not because he was a different species obeying different evolutional principles. He looked at the face of David – every emotion was seen. Happiness for the beauty of the moment and this turning point in his life. Madness for the pulling of his hair. Tiredness for all those sleepless nights holding his new two twin girls. Sadness for their first day of school and their last. Proudness for all the accomplishments they had made. And, gratefulness as the two mirrored his same emotions for their own. Was this how his parents felt when they had Jumba? He could only remember that they were always out doing something other than paying attention to him. So, likely not. Or, had they?

Jumba then looked at Nani, who was still in pain. Sometimes, like thirty minutes ago, she had reminded him of his ex-wife – the nagger and the devil. But, now he finally realized a side of Nani that his ex-wife lacked - genuine, forever lovingness. Did every being in the universe have this deep down? Or, was love only programmed into beings of the Earth? He thought of the time he and Pleakley tried to figure out the true meaning of love. They were both so ignorant trying to mix sappy Earth things together to make a sort of potion. All Jumba knew for sure was that species from Plogonar and Kweltikwan did not seem to be capable of it. Possibly Earth was the only planet that possessed it.


	12. Metalogue

A lot happens in about 1.5 years on Earth. To say the least, people become parents as babies are unexpectedly born. Those babies grow older as more come along. Aliens remain comatose. Evil geniuses make more monstrosities. College students get smarter. And, genetic experiments remain fluffy.

A few days after giving birth, Nani, who had a few complications down there, was allowed to leave the hospital, but was inseparable from her new, two, little ones who had to stay. They both were very underweight and were having trouble breathing on their own. So, after birth, they were immediately taken downstairs to be hooked up appropriately. It took a month of bulking up their weight and premium care for the two parents and the two girls – Alani and Kaylani –to finally leave the hospital with joy. A year later, Nani and David announced that they were pregnant again. They didn't seemed to be stopped by all of the chaos of the first.

Although the Kawena family left the hospital, not all of the ohana had left. Pleakley was still in his coma - levels fluctuating by the day - which astonishingly planted Jumba in the hospital right alongside him. After the first day of being in the hospital, Jumba roped together all the machines and IV stands to Pleakley's bed. He promised to himself he would wheel Pleakley around the eighth floor twice a day. Maybe the light and unstuffy room air would be a cure for the comatose. It was also some exercise for Jumba who never left the room. When did he ever let anybody tie him down? Besides Jumba's fulltime job of monitoring Pleakley, Jumba also set up lab in Pleakley's hospital room, as inspected by the hospital daily for safety. He constantly fiddled with the DNA, RNA, and other components he had in order to come up with experiment 800: primary function to get rid of comas by countering them with the cause.

Contrarily, Lilo was close to receiving her degree at G.A.C.C. She just needed to complete another quarter of classes and she would have it. Overall, she loved all of the science courses she had taken and decided she would get more specific for her final project. She wanted it to be original, something that made a difference, and was constructive. She, Stitch, and Angel were just having a hard time deciding what it would be, though. They set up creative brainstorm sessions every day to try to figure it out.

Despite school, Lilo, Stitch, and Angel came back to Earth, as promised, on all of their school breaks. Lilo loved babysitting her new nieces and taking them to meet all of Jumba's experiments around the island. She also didn't mind working at Jumba and Pleakley's Bed Not Breakfast behind the hospital – what a convenient location for sunburnt tourists and pictures for Lilo. Of all, Stitch and Angel worked there the most; it should have been renamed Stitch and Angel's Bed Not Breakfast, but the named remained. In their spare time, Lilo, Stitch, and Angel tried to cheer up Jumba. They played games, small-talked, and watched TV together. Lilo even played her ukulele songs for Jumba.

Despite their efforts, Jumba still seemed to be falling into a deep depression more by the day.


	13. A Day in the Life

"There's the eighth floor front desk to our right and the west sitting room… Room 899… 898… Dr. Jones… 897… 896… vending machine…" Jumba said to comatose Pleakley, whom was asleep in his bed. "Do you want anything?" Jumba looked at Pleakley for an answer, but of course there was never going to be one. "You want the smelly meat sticks?" Jumba responded as if Pleakley muttered an inaudible answer. "Me too…"

Jumba got out some coins and pressed the machine's buttons. Out popped two meat sticks, as so called by Jumba. He put one in one of Pleakley's hands and the other in Pleakley's other. "Room 895…850…East sitting area…" Jumba wheeled Pleakley close to the window and took a seat by him.

"Sunrises on Kweltikwan only last a split second and come once every 6 days…hard to tell the start of a new week…Always very cold…" Jumba remembered trying to strike up a conversation. "What about Plogonar…?" Jumba asked looking at Pleakley, who was still in his blue and pink Hawaiian dress and had freshly painted makeup on. There was no answer. "No sunrises…? Sunsets…?" No answer. "Awe…" Jumba frowned looking over at Pleakley's heartbeat monitor machine. It had been slower than usual.

"Hey, are you going to share those smelly meat sticks!?" Jumba exclaimed as he fake wrestled for one of them like the good old days. "Give me one!" Jumba shouted as he easily took the package from Pleakley's limp hand. He munched on the snack as he looked at Pleakley. Pleakley was of course not eating his meat sticks. "Saving it like last time…? Good choice."

With the Hawaiian sun beating through the windows, Jumba and Pleakley continued their walk, or, in Pleakley's case, stroll. "Room 849…848…bathroom…drinking fountain…trash can…recycling bin…room 847….805…804…803…802…801… _800_ …" Jumba wheeled Pleakley inside the room dodging Lilo, Stitch, and Angel. The three were sitting in some folding chairs and staring out the door. Pleakley's cell phone was ringing again; it was probably Mother Pleakley. Jumba never answered it though.

"I guessed it would be a patient! And it was!" Lilo argued.

"Naga! Meega guessed Jumba! … Jumba!" Stitch pointed to Jumba who sat down at his minilab. Jumba looked rather frustrated because his whiteboard of integral calculus was smudged with the game's meaningless tally marks.

"But Pleakley was first!"

"Heat vision! Saw Jumba first!"

"Tie!" Angel declared as the two best friends broke out into a game of rock, paper, glornets.

"Glornets!"

"Glornets!" There was a huff by the three as the intensity and drama increased.

"Glornets!" Lilo shouted again.

"Paper!" Stitch trumped.

"Hey Jumba, we're adding you to the game!" Lilo smiled to his back as she scribbled his name on the whiteboard. Jumba didn't respond.

"The next person to walk by will be a doctor!" Lilo guessed.

"Naga doctor! Patient!" Stitch proclaimed.

"Naga! Nurse!" Angel argued.

"Who do you think the next person will be Jumba?" Lilo enthusiastically asked trying to engage her uncle.

"I don't know…" Jumba answered as he poured some chemicals together with a bang. He seemed rather irritated now.

"Come on Jumba! You love this game!" Lilo tried.

"Fine… it's going to be experiment 800…" Jumba said doubtfully figuring out what he had done wrong.

"Okay…let's see!" There was a little silence as only Lilo and the two genetic experiments listened. Finally, a nurse passed by and Angel happily smiled. In celebration, she put a tick mark underneath her name on the chalkboard. "Wow! Angel is in the lead now with 32 correct guesses. Stitch now with 28. Me with 16. Jumba with 0. Don't worry Jumba you'll get it next time!" There was no response.

"Next doctor!" Stitch began.

"Naga, boojiboo. Nurse!"

"How about you guess next Jumba!" Lilo tried again.

Jumba let out a humph as Stitch grabbed ahold of Pleakley's meat sticks. "Experiment 800…and don't you even think about it! Give that back to Pleakley!"

"Okay...? I guess it'll be experiment 800, too," Lilo smiled to Jumba in hopes that would boost his confidence and lift up his spirits. The only response she got was another chemical bang.

"Doctor!" Stitch clapped as he gave himself 29 points. He started another round by guessing patient. "Lilo? You're turn!" Stitch nudged. Lilo was deep in thought.

"You guys go ahead. I'm going to pass for a while…" Lilo said as the two genetic experiments shrugged and continued with their round. Lilo scooted her chair to watch Jumba tinker with his fragile equipment and genetic material. Over the years, she had worked up the ranks from capturing his experiments to almost being Jumba's evil genius assistant or at least evil genius spectator or student. "Jumba…I want to tell you a story…one I've been meaning to tell you in a while…" Jumba had his back towards Lilo and didn't say anything. "It's about a coconut tree... Everyday, that coconut tree produced coconuts for the people who were to eat them – that was the coconuts' one true place... Anyways, this coconut tree had a best friend who always stood by his side – a friendly palm tree… After ten years, the coconut tree noticed that the palm tree was becoming sick. But, the coconut tree didn't want this to happen. So, the coconut tree decided to give the palm tree one of its coconuts. Remember…the coconuts made the people happy, so maybe they would do the same to the palm tree… But, the coconut didn't help and so the coconut tree became very sad. The tree thought he had nothing more to offer to help his friend. As the coconut tree shed its leaves in sadness, the leaves rejuvenated the palm tree instantaneously… The rest was history…"

Jumba tried not to cry as he wondered how he should interpret this. Lilo hugged Jumba from the back in comfort. "I know you'll save him…don't worry…I know you will…" Lilo whispered.

"I can't even save my own genetic experiment, let alone …" Jumba whispered back looking at a part of his desk where Pleakley's rock Pleakley had received as a gift from Lilo sat proudly.

"You will…You just have to break away for a while to get your ideas flowing…" Lilo suggested.

"Ha- I do that twice a day, sometimes at night, and on federal holidays…" Jumba said in a confused voice.

"Ya that…but also from Pleakley... If you ask me, it's getting a little compulsive." She looked at the pile of meat sticks.

"What…? But…what if…" Jumba turned around to look at Pleakley.

"Nothing will happen…" Lilo finished. "You promised… it's the 179th time." She was eagerly waiting for what Jumba would say next.

Jumba leaned back in his chair. He did promise and she must have been counting. "Fine…where are we to be going?" Jumba mumbled.

A happy smile extended across Lilo's face. "You're going to come volunteer with us at the hospital!"

"Oh no… 626 told me about that old coot wing!"

"You have nothing to worry about!" she exclaimed handing Jumba a volunteer outfit she had been hiding for nearly a year. In what looked like Boy or Girl Scout uniforms, Lilo, with the help of Stitch and Angel, pulled Jumba out of the room. He was still looking back at Pleakley in desperation.


	14. Or, A Non-Day in the Life?

During the morning, the four delivered flowers, newspapers, and breakfasts to the patients and their loved ones on all of the hospital floors. One time, an old lady on the sixth floor hit Jumba in the face with her newspaper. But, besides this instance, Jumba seemed to be finally cheering up. And so was Lilo, Stitch, and Angel. Time really flew though and, after convincing Jumba, who desperately wanted to go up and see Pleakley, the four ate lunch in the hospital cafeteria for the first time. The food was always delivered to Jumba in the room, like they had done for others today. The four sat down at a table. Jumba and Stitch were across from Lilo and Angel respectively.

"Wasn't that fun!" Lilo smiled.

"Ih!" Stitch said as he dipped his volunteer hat in some ketchup and mustard.

"No, don't do that! You know that's not good for your sensitive digestive system!" Lilo stopped. Angel was about to do the same and there was a bite mark out of Stitch's hat. Stitch put it back on his head with a grunt. "Did you have fun Jumba?"

"Uhhh… better than doing community service for jail sentence…. But nothing beats making evil genius experiments…" Jumba looked at Stitch and Angel. There was a pause as they dug into their meals.

"What inspired you to be a biogenetic engineer?" Lilo questioned with curiosity now picking at her meal as if disinterested in it.

"Well…I guess college kind of inspired me…" He thought of Lilo and how she was going to college.

"But you went to an evil genius college. What made you decide to go there?" she further questioned as if she was an interviewer.

"Well…I guess I was always experimenting… just fell in love with the science despite it being idiotically illegal." Jumba pounded his fist to the table remembering how the Galactic Council had treated him the day they caught him and 626.

"What was the first experiment you made? Was it Shrink?" Lilo swirled her pudding.

"Aww…no. That was with me and Hamsterwheel. _My_ first - way, way before."

"What was it?"

"It was a little, fluffy bunny…" Jumba shrugged as Stitch couldn't stop laughing. "Hey…evil genius had to start somewhere. If it weren't for that bunny you wouldn't be here." Jumba scowled as Stitch quit laughing.

"What inspired you to make the bunny Jumba?" Lilo still questioned.

"Aww…well…I just wanted to make exact copy of one I saw in grass." He acted as if it were nothing.

"How old were you when you created it?"

"Very long time ago…probably six?" Lilo looked at him in amazement. "But, bunny was exact opposite of the grass type. It ate all grass in sight and caused frosty ice ages for centuries…" An evil laugh escaped his mouth. "Parents got mad at me and had to run away from home. I lived out in a drippy cave for years…" Stitch could hardly control his laughter now, but Jumba didn't hear it as he was reliving the flashback of his life. "Eventually, they caught me and banished me from Kweltikwan. I then joined evil genius college, met Hamsterwheel, created the experiments. I then met wife, boy worst decision of my life…"

"Did you love her?" Lilo interrupted blatantly with a dreamy look on her face.

"What was that?"

"Did you love her?"

"Always seems that way at first – say it is that, think it is that… She hated my experiments and she got really annoyed and naggy that I was always in my evil genius lab with the rodent. She hated Hamsterwheel." Jumba sighed as Stitch and Angel ate their lunch trays.

"What was it like to be in love with her? How did you feel?"

"Ha! This word you call 'love' is only an illusion or a mirage in dry, lonely desert. Always ends in divorce, no missed feelings…. Why you ask me?" Jumba eyed Lilo who was now too shy to talk. "Who's the one you got your eyes on? Is it that Mohawk, cool Keoni kid that used to play in that band with you? Big breakup? Or is it that crazy drummer guy I nearly blasted as he was climbing up the palm tree one night?"

"No!" Lilo blushed. She diverted her eyes from her smiling uncle.

"Which one?" Jumba teased. "You deny?"

"Ih! Ih! Ih!" Stitch and Angel said pointing to Lilo. Embarrassed, she dove her head into her tray and grunted. After a while, she arose with mashed potatoes on her face. Jumba, Angel, and Stitch were all still smiling.

"Do you still love her?" Lilo was now trying to change the subject back to Jumba and cleaning her face.

"No way!" Jumba said defensively. "Unless love means I wish she would fall into black hole, then yes…" Remembering his flashback, Jumba continued. "Then, got arrested after creating 626…"

"Stitch," Stitch corrected.

"… _Stitch_ …met my little one-eyed one, found my ohana, captured the rest of the experiments, defeated Hamsterwheel..."

"Why do you always call Pleakley that?" Lilo couldn't help but query as the two genetic experiments stared at each other with lovey dovey eyes.

The blushing had swapped across the table. Lilo gave Jumba the same look she received when he had questioned her about her own love.

"Do you love…" Lilo began with a sweet smile.

Jumba immediately stood up. "Look at the time, it is 12:55…better get upstairs for story time…you said it would be best part of day…" Jumba said quickly but sarcastically.

"Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me Jumba. Let's go, Stitch and Angel!" The four bustled up the elevator reaching the fourth floor: the pediatric floor. There was a little common space with books, toys, and children. "Jumba, you get to be the reader today."

Lilo nudged Jumba to the front of the room where there was a rocking chair. The children, Lilo, Stitch, and Angel formed a semicircle around him.

"What am I supposed to read?" Jumba said in a confused voice getting nervous by the crowd. The room was silent in anticipation. Stitch got up and gave Jumba his most favorite book not even bothering to find a new story on the hospital bookshelf.

"Stitch loved the first one so much that I had to write a sequel…" Lilo commented as Stitch sat back down.

"The Ugly Duckling II…?" Jumba began. He played with the string that held it together and Lilo nodded in approval.

"Once…there was a happy duck family…they did everything together: they swam, ate fish, flew together, and danced the Glocknar." Jumba turned the page as Stitch clapped his hands. He gave Lilo and Stitch a funny look. "One day, the ducklings grew up and decided to leave the nest…One to the biggest lake of all…one to the creek down the way…one to a big oak tree…one remained…and one even to outer space," Jumba gave Lilo a second funny look. But, the children seemed like they were in a trance. "The adult ducklings were so happy…but the mother and the remaining one were _very sad_ ," Jumba lost his place.

"You're doing great Uncle Jumba!" Lilo motivated quietly. "They…missed… the…" Lilo said from memory.

"They… missed … the…" Lilo and Jumba said together.

"They … missed… the…" Jumba cried as he set the book down and stormed for the elevator. Stitch, Angel, and Lilo followed behind.


	15. Tragedy Strikes Again

"Jumba, we're sorry we made you read that book… Stitch thinks it's great." Lilo apologized putting an arm around his shoulder in the elevator. "I'm glad you tried though." Angel crawled up Jumba's back and gave him a kiss on the cheek, which left Jumba smiling lovingly to his little creation.

"It's okay…That really isn't why I'm upset…Something just hit me…I think something is wrong with Pleakley…" The three walked out of the elevator and into Pleakley's room. As Jumba expected, something did seem wrong. Pleakley's wig was at an angle; when they left, it was on straight. His heartbeat also seemed very slow.

Jumba ran over to Pleakley and lifted the soft wig off his head in disbelief. It was coated in blood. "PLEAKLEY!" Jumba screamed leaning in to give Pleakley a hug of a lifetime as if his long-time friend was going to die right there. Apparently, while they were gone, Pleakley's lone antenna had exploded or someone had sawed it off.

"PLEAKLEY!" Lilo repeated with tears streaking down her face as she peaked past Jumba. Stitch and Angel sniffed the air in suspicion and Lilo jetted out of the room. "Doctor! We need a doctor!" Lilo cried trying to get someone's attention – anyone's. Finally, a herd of doctors and nurses followed her back, including Dr. Jones.

"We need to get her in surgery immediately!" Dr. Jones demanded seeing the condition his patient was in. All the nurses grabbed a portion of the bed's railing and quickly wheeled him into the surgery room ready to stitch her up. Lilo, Stitch, Angel, and Jumba stood in Room 800 looking to the ground.


	16. ---Doctor---

"There you are my Leroy…what took you so long!" Dr. Hämsterviel snapped. As his answer, the Leroy pointed to Jumba on the screen of Pleakley's hospital room. He handed the bloody antenna, the 'Cousins' book, and Jumba and Pleakley's ship keys to Hämsterviel and joined his friends who were watching the screen.

 _"It's all my fault… I can't leave tomorrow." Lilo cried into her hands._

 _"No, no, no…not-so-little girl…" Jumba comforted with unstoppable tears dripping down his face and giving her a hug._

 _"But ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten... We left Pleakley behind… You were right… I cannot leave him behind again."_

"Blah! Ohana means shut your mouth!" Hämsterviel shouted muting the screen. "You three, come make this into evil soundproof earplugs pronto, so we can replicate them…and rule the entire Galactic Council…and rule the UNIVERSE! We return to Earth when the brat leaves!" With some chootas and blitznaks, the three Leroys took the antenna and scampered into their jail cells. Hämsterviel had installed some equipment in their cells as well.

"And…you two lazy, pathetic creations…get the junky replicator firing up…NOW!" Hämsterviel evilly laughed as the two obediently did what they were told. They went into a secret room in Hämsterviel's cell. With no other Leroys around, Hämsterviel secretly unmuted the screen for his own enjoyment.

 _"For awhile – probably since you left for college- I've been thinking about this word – ohana, that you say so frequently. I used to not understand it – still don't. In fact, I still don't understand most Earth customs. But, following those words exactly - is very strict, especially towards all respects…Can't be glued to family all the time…the meaning would eventually fall apart into fights and chaos… Need to break away sometimes to grow and continue own life story… even though bad happens…then you come back…all back together …and that meaning comes back…it never totally goes away though … never broken family… they always remain in your heart…"_

 _"You're right Jumba…" Lilo said swatting away her tears. Stitch looked at his Ugly Duckling II book. "If you thought this way, then why did you nearly spend 1.5 years without leaving Pleakley's side?"_

 _"That's a different circumstance…" Jumba said discreetly as he turned away to tinker with experiment 800._

 _"What do you mean by a different circumstance?" Lilo smirked as she walked over to find Jumba almost blushing behind all his machinery._

 _"Oh…you know… something only beings from Kweltikwan or Plogonar can understand … otherworldly… no Earth being can understand…"_

 _"Okay… I just want you to know that you and Pleakley will always be a part of my ohana and I'll always love you guys… you know how much you two have been there for me?"_


	17. Who am I?

That night, Nani and David were going on a not-date, so Lilo volunteered to babysit Alani and Kaylani. With the approval of Nani, they were going to watch Nani's favorite movie Mulan. The movie's message was one of their favorites. In addition, Pleakley survived the stitching procedure and now had average levels. The only problem was that, if he was to come back to life, he would be permanently deaf and would have anosmia. To counter this, Jumba began working on experiment 801 - primary function to restore hearing in the deaf – and experiment 802 – primary function to restore sense of smell.

"I'm going to go take Pleakley out for a while…" Jumba stated as he wheeled Pleakley's bed around the maze of toddlers, college student, and genetic experiments.

"Did you want us to come along?" Lilo questioned with a smile.

"No… start silly, frilly movie without me if you want… I'll come back and do evil genius work anyway."

"Okay! Have fun Uncle Jumba … _Aunt Pleakley_!" Lilo grinned. Stitch, Angel, and the two little girls waved.

"On youga date!" Stitch finished.

"You too…" Jumba said embarrassedly taking a right instead of a left. "Room 801…802…803…804…Drinking fountain…Trash can… Bathroom… Recycling bin… Bulletin board… Room 805… 806… 899… west sitting room and front desk…"

Jumba wheeled Pleakley to the huge window and took a seat by him. Both were silent for a few moments and the sound of Mulan blared behind them, which made Jumba smile. "Do you think night sunsets are more prettier than morning sunrises?" Jumba asked his little-one-eyed one taking one of Pleakley's tiny three-fingered hands in his larger hand. "Why…?" Jumba was waiting for his answer. He leaned in close as if Pleakley had just muttered something, but Jumba couldn't hear it. "To me, sunsets are prettier… not as vibrant and colorful as sunrises…but more simplistic and real…not exaggerated, but true…"

Jumba slightly squeezed Pleakley's hand as the sun went down below the ocean. "Want to go in and watch lovey, princess movie? I know those are your favorite…" Taking the silence as a yes, Jumba strolled Pleakley back into the room, past the movie watchers, and back against the open window. Jumba sat down at his desk ready to work. Even after the trauma today, Jumba had a new drive he didn't have before – one he really couldn't explain.

He listened to the movie, though. There was a part where the matchmaker's patookie caught afire, which made Jumba laugh real hard. He couldn't imagine having to go through that kind of a process to marry someone. If that was the case, he would have done the same as Mulan and would have definitely remained a bachelor forever. Isn't it okay to be different and to break from what society thinks is so?

The movie continued as Mulan's father and mother dishonored her for not being a "perfect daughter." Seeing this, Mulan then broke out into song, which surprisingly caught Jumba's attention enough to turn around.

"… _Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me_ _?_ _Why is my reflection someone I don't know_ _?_ _Somehow I cannot hide_ _who I am, though I've tried._ _When will my reflection show, who I am, inside_ _?"  
_ The last part rung in Jumba's ears. It wouldn't quit. Leave it to those stupid, corny, catchy princess movies. As he tried to clear it from his mind, he spun around to look at Pleakley, as if he too had a reaction. That's when Jumba locked eyes, or rather locked his four eyes, with Pleakley's closed, lone eye. From then on, Jumba knew for certain that the inevitable was going to eventually happen. How feelings and emotions could seem like they never existed, but then reach the point of explosion.


	18. ---Jaques von---

"Get me all of my experiments! … Except that 624, 625, 626 and that worthless 700 pet series…! Now Leroys! Now!" All the Leroys went to open their cells with their amazing strength. "Stop! Stop! Not that way! I don't want all of us to get ratted out!" There was a chuckle. "I am not rat-like! I am hamster-like! Stop it with those insults! You… you go capture all of my experiments!"

"Gaba?" The Leroy said as his friend nudged him. The Leroy was apparently watching the Pleakley show and wasn't listening to Hämsterviel.

"What do you mean what!? Get moving your lazy patookie and catch my experiments!"

"Okay…okay…" The Leroy said as he took a pair of soundproof earplugs and stood on the teleporter. He had the 'Cousins' book and in hand.

"That's more like it… and how are you going to capture my experiments?!" Hämsterviel looked at the Leroy as if he was forgetting something.

"Gaba?" The Leroy questioned as Hämsterviel made a "remove your earplugs" motion.

"AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CAPTURE MY EXPERIMENTS!"

"Yeah… yeah… dehydrator blaster _we_ made…"

"Good … then don't forget it!" Hämsterviel threw it to the Leroy, who caught it. "Oh… and don't take a snack break like your little, lazy trog friend did last time … I want the experiments now!"

"Okay…okay…"

And with a click of a button, the Leroy was molecularly transported to Jumba and Pleakley's vacant ship ready to capture all of Jookiba's experiments – Déjà vu.


	19. Extermination Day

"Hi Jumba! I finally finished my final project! I haven't fully tested it, but I'm going to present it today! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see you at graduation tomorrow! I've got a surprise! How's Pleakley doing? If he's doing better, you can bring him tomorrow! How's the progress on 800, 801 and 802?" Lilo blabbed without a pause. 801 and 802 were sitting on Jumba's lap.

"Pleakley…uhh… were lower than normal, but not bad." Jumba turned around to look at Pleakley with a slight smile. "801 and 802 are finished… I already let them restore Pleakley's hearing and sense of smell. I don't know if it worked either."

"Well that's good news Jumba!" Lilo paused as she thought for a second. "I'm going to name you Oto!" Lilo smiled to 801 through her intergalactic cell phone. "And I'm going to name you Osmia!" Jumba gave Lilo a loving, but sad look. She never tired of naming his experiments.

"Right… I just need to do the finishing touches on 800, but probably could work as is… not really sure though… probably never test her…" Jumba's voice trailed off leerily as Lilo's grin turned into a worried frown.

"What do you mean you'll never test her?"

"Hämsterviel and the Leroys have escaped and they have captured all the experiments..."

Receiving this news, Lilo gasped. "They're on Earth right now, right!? We're coming!"

"Lilo, no! This morning, the Grand Councilwoman and I agreed you wouldn't come back! It's for your own safety. Galactic orders – something between me, Cobra, and the federation. This time Hämsterviel has the upper hand on us – has us on flimsy puppet strings that could being cut at anytime!"

"We'll just do it like last time!"

"Won't work…"

"Why?!"

"Hamsterwheel dehydrated the experiments and he is reactivating them as we speak in kiddy, puffy, wading pool – will revert back to original programming… Listen to me."

"What about Aloha Oe or Angel's siren song?!"

"Tried that… Leroys are resisting… all are resisting. There's nothing you can do… please to be listening to me?"

"No! I can do something Uncle Jumba, really!" Lilo reached for a sack that was behind her.

"Lilo, please to be…" Jumba cried.

"Why did you call me if you didn't want me to do anything?" Lilo cried back.

"Because … I wanted to… say goodbye… we all want to say goodbye… we're oha…" Lilo now discovered Pleakley, Nani, David, Alani, and Kaylani were in the background. All except comatose Pleakley were crying.

"What do you mean goodbye, Uncle Jumba!? Aren't you or the Grand Councilwoman going to do anything?" Lilo questioned.

"Whole planet is going to get exterminated. Galactic Councilwoman thought it would be better than having evil genius experiments torture people to death … plus will kill Hämsterviel in process… why I decided to take Pleakley off… life su…pport…. He never wanted to end this way…"

A sorrow gasp escaped Lilo's lips. "CAN YOU ALL JUST LEAVE?"

"No…"

"WHY NOT?!"

"Hämsterviel has our ship… Besides can't escape… Leroys all over the streets…other experiments reactivating… safer to remain indoors and for the genocide to take its course..."

"JUMBA DON'T GIVE UP… OHANA NEVER GIVES UP."

Nani reached for Jumba's phone so she could say her final words to her beloved sister, but Lilo had already hung up. They tried calling her for the second and third time, but still no answer.


	20. Lilo to the Rescue

"Lock coordinates!" Lilo commanded.

"Ih!" Stitch said as he did so.

"Call Grand Councilwoman!"

"Ih!" Angel purred.

"Seatbelts!" The three buckled their seatbelts. "Elvis!"

"Ih!" A song of Nickelback blared from the speakers.

"Close enough… activate double H-drive and wormhole!"

"Ih!" Stitch laughed as he pulled the handle twice and pushed a button.

With a cataclysmic boom, the three arrived about a satellite-distance away from the Earth. They weren't alone; the BRB, Gantu's ship, and thousands of Intergalactic Armada ships were there encircling the planet they called home. The double H-drive's blast made all the ships fluctuate as if they were all in the ocean. Probably all the pilots turned to look at them in surprise.

"Grand Councilwoman… this is Lilo…"

"Lilo? Where are you? You're supposed to be presenting your project right now. I came to watch. They're about to let the next student go."

"We're about to break Earth's atmosphere. We need to stop the Galactic Armada… Can you hold on a second? I think that's them calling!"

"Lilo, but that's against…!" the Grand Councilwoman began, but she was too late.

"Nani… Is Jumba saving Pleakley?!" Lilo shouted seeing who it was on the screen.

"Lilo, please listen to us … we love yo… you're my only… !" Nani cried as Pleakley's phone was ringing behind her. Jumba was in the background with disconnected Pleakley draped in his arms; their faces were awfully close together.

"No…! I've made up my mind and I got another incoming call – tell Jumba to SAVE Pleakley now!"

"WAIT! LILO!" Nani screamed as Lilo pushed a button to talk to her next caller.

"Cobra? Why are you calling me? I always call you…"

"To convince you to go back to Turo… It's for your own good…"

"I'm coming - it's for 9 billion people's own good plus for all the animals, genetic experiments, and peaceful aliens."

"You got to listen to us, Lilo…." But, Cobra was now off the screen. They were getting so many incoming calls.

"Lilo, this is Captain Gantu… turn back now…"

"And you'll win the sandwich of your dreams. More mayo? You got it baby!" Reuben interrupted.

"No! I want you to stop the extermination!"

"That's not an optio…!" Gantu yelled pounding a fist.

"Aww… I see why you don't want listen to him… he hasn't had his lunch yet… only had a poptart for breakfast… here you go codboy."

"There is an option you big dummy!" Lilo said as Gantu grunted madly and took the sandwich from Reuben with a bite.

"How many times must you call me that? You left me with no other choice but to draw you in…" Gantu declared as Lilo's ship was being magnetically pulled to a big magnet on Gantu's ship. Meanwhile, Stitch was clicking through all of the callers. Nani temporarily was out, but was back in. She must of had switched to Pleakley's phone.

"Angel… H-drive!" Lilo talked into the screen of caller entourage with confidence. "Rockahula!"

And with a last whoosh of all the Armada spacecrafts and some screams, Lilo, Stitch, and Angel entered Earth's atmosphere.

"Cease extermination…! Captain Gantu, go redeem yourself _again_ by bringing Lilo back!" ordered the Galactic Councilwoman.


	21. Inside the Coma

"Pleakley… is that you?" Jumba murmured as he stumbled over to a bluish-pink-green blob in the complete darkness.

"AHHHH!" screamed the blob in fright. It was surely Pleakley.

"It's me… Jumba!"

"Oh no… not another one… I've learned my lesson with so many others."

"What do you mean…?"

"I had some ribs slap me in the face this morning when I was trying to eat 'em! And, it wasn't pretty! Not pretty at all! Go away before I karate chop you!" Pleakley said batting a lacrosse stick.

"But…" Jumba began. Not liking this answer, Pleakley ran over to Jumba and immediately started hitting him. Jumba still couldn't believe how someone that small could possess that much strength.

"Oh, so you were hiding the main course! The appetizer was easy, so bring it on!" Pleakley challenged as he batted experiment 800. After about ten minutes, Pleakley was finally getting tired. "Tricky aren't you! Tricky, tricky, tricky!"

"That's because we're not a figment Pleakley…"

"What do you mean figment? This _is_ reality – combating ribs and egg mcmuffins! I'm the slayer of them all! Here's my outfit to prove it!" It was his blue and pink Hawaiian dress.

Jumba couldn't help but laugh. "I'm afraid not… Do you remember who I am?"

Pleakley thought for a second. It had almost been two years. Maybe Pleakley suffered some brain damage, like the doctor warned. "Ohh…That's right! You're the chosen one to help me slay all the pizza! Between you and me – they always throw and toss me around…"

"No…" Jumba said in a worried tone.

"Oh… are you the one that's going to give me weapons to defeat the evil pizza!? That must be the weapon…" Pleakley pointed to experiment 800.

"No…" Jumba cried with tears streaking down his face.

"Well, who are you and what are you doing here?" Pleakley questioned, but getting no response. "Aww… It's okay… I want you to know that I'm here for you…" Pleakley comforted. "Tell me what's wrong…"

"I can't…" Jumba choked as experiment 800 sat on his lap. "You wouldn't understand…"

"I'm the understander of all understanders… lay it on me baby…" Pleakley smiled taking a seat next to Jumba.

"Well…"

"Go on… you can say anything to me…"

"It all started on this planet named Turo…" Jumba began.

"Turo…" Pleakley repeated. "Is that close to milkshake falls? Contains all the turkeys?"

"No…" Jumba answered. "Turo is planet in outer space. Millions and millions of lightyears from where you're little mind is right now. I come from planet Kweltikwan and you come from planet Plogonar…"

"I do…?"

"Yes, you do…"

"Are we on Plogonar right now?"

"Nope – on friendly water planet called Earth…"

"Earth…" Pleakley repeated.

"I, Jumba Jookiba, am biogenetic, evil genius who created hundreds of experiments that you call little monsters… See, like experiment 800 here…"

"Doesn't look like a little monster to me…" Pleakley said petting experiment 800. "And what do I do?"

"You are Earth expert… love reading about their gossip, watching their shows, and shopping for their latest girly trends."

"Wow… that's fascinating… So how did you, so different from me, meet someone like yours truly?"

"That's a good one!" Jumba blushed. "One of my genetic experiments named 626, later named Stitch, escaped to Earth after being captured by Galactic Council on planet Turo. It was illegal to create such experiments, so I was put in prison. Gaw…! You, being the Earth expert, wanted to spare the planet, so me and you were paired to capture him…"

"Fascinating… Did we ever capture this thing called, did you say, Spinach?"

" _Stitch_ … In end wouldn't really consider capturing… became an Earth ohana with him, little girl named Lilo, and bigger girl named Nani… me and you are ohana and best friends… and…."

"Ohana means…" Pleakley began as he thought deeply. Jumba tried to finish the family motto, but Pleakley shushed him. "Ohana means family?"

"Yes!" Jumba congratulated. "And…?!"

"And family means no one gets left behind or forgotten!" Pleakley exclaimed. "I can feel it! It's all coming back to me! Running through my veins!" But, followed was a serious pause. "So what happened to our ohana? Why are we here?"

"The truth is… you're in a coma… Me and experiment 800 are here to get your mind out of it and to be bringing you back to reality, not the reality you left though – quite treacherous actually. Don't think you would want to see it. I probably won't be able to see it, a matter of fact."

"Ohh… " There was a long moment of silence as Pleakley thought about Jumba's last comment. "Do you think I'm _pretty_ Jumba?" Pleakley tried. He was looking lovingly into the larger alien's four eyes and Jumba was silent from Pleakley's overwhelming and sudden bluntness. "You know, not the pretty annoying or pretty ugly kind. _Just pretty_?" Emotions were flooding through both of them. But, that was only half as blunt as it was going to get. "Can I … I … k…kiss you?"

Wordless, Jumba nodded, which surprised Pleakley and Jumba himself. Jumba started to lean in.

"Wait… let me remember… black is soooo blasé…" Pleakley said as he put both his hands in a thinking position on his head. Deep down, he knew what he wanted, but he couldn't express it in his mind. Therefore, Jumba and Pleakley were cast through so many different sceneries, outfits, and songs to make anyone's head spin.

From Snow White and Sleeping Beauty bed scenes to Cinderella, Enchanted, and Beauty and the Beast dance scenes. Even a magic carpet ride and a trip to Neverland. To Tangled and Little Mermaid boat scenes to actually jumping out of the boat in Tarzan. Even some close call kiss scenes from Hercules, Mulan, and Pocahontas. Not a one kiss.

Finally, the two landed in a figment of Hawaii. They were sitting on the Pelekai hammock out in the front yard both wearing their very first Earth disguises. The sun was setting and experiment 800 was peering at them through some bushes. Pleakley was knotting his fingers together nervously as Jumba was looking at him in anticipation.

"Well…?" Jumba whispered breaking the silence. He actually kind of liked the workup to this climax; Pleakley was always so unique in his own little way. "Can I k…"

At that moment, Pleakley stealthily pecked Jumba on the cheek with his pinkish-red lips. That was it, but it left Jumba in a trance.

"Hello? Have you been sucked into a black hole?" Pleakley said as he waved his hand in front of Jumba's motionless face. Taking this as the rejection he so demised, the figment faded back to darkness. Pleakley then curled up into a ball and started crying. It was over. Pleakley was over.

Jumba sat in the darkness, though not noticing it, and gently patted _his_ kiss mark. He looked at his hand of the smudged copy. Everything was finally making sense to him, falling into place – everything. Somehow, he thought if the world were to end now, he would be okay with it. But, a loud cry brought him back. In shock, Jumba sat down next to the figment of Pleakley and began stroking Pleakley's wig lovingly in comfort.

"Take that you salami sandwich! I'm not in the mood and never will be…!" Pleakley yelled instantaneously as he swatted his partner in crime. "J…J…Jumba…?!"

Despite the pain, Jumba answered with a sweet smile, which made Pleakley smile and drop his golf club into the darkness. Jumba scooped Pleakley into his arms and continued playing with the soft tufts of Pleakley's wig. It made Pleakley giggle, blush, and become lost in Jumba's gentle movements. Slowly, when Pleakley had his lone eye closed for a moment in pleasure, Jumba leaned in to give Pleakley a short, soft, wet kiss on the lips.

Pleakley gasped in surprise looking up at Jumba. They stared at each other millimeters apart. "Are you going to swat me now, like with Earth tennis racket or baseball bat? Or better – a javelin?" Jumba whispered playfully.

"No… why would I ever do that?" Pleakley giggled as he gave Jumba a needed hug and leaped in for another kiss – this one being fervently eternal.


	22. Is Showtime!

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON!" Mother Pleakley shrieked behind Lilo, who jumped. Pleakley's siblings trailed behind. They were looking at Pleakley in his hospital bed and couldn't help but notice Lilo's intergalactic cell phone resting on his head.

"Pleakley's mom, Nani told you not to come out here; it's dangerous…" Lilo stated.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY SON!?"

"He's in a coma…"

"IN A COMA?! MY HUSBAND DIED IN A COMA! WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY LET ME KNOW? I'M HIS MOTHER! I'VE BEEN CALLING NONSTOP EVERYDAY!"

"No need to worry, Jumba is inside his mind working it out…" Lilo smiled.

"THAT IDIOT SCIENTIST THAT LET HIS MONSTER CHEW UP MY SON'S HEAD!? AHHHH!"

"Here, this should help, take a blaster…" Lilo shouted blasting Cannonball and a Leroy into good. "I need to call Jumba."

Mother Pleakley, Bertley, and Pixley looked at the blasters dumbfounded running towards their ship in fright.

"Hi experiment 800… I mean…" Lilo thought for a second in the heat of war. "What should I name you…? Wakeyupper?"

"Naga…" experiment 800 scowled.

"Ya… that's a terrible name… How about Soapy for soap opera?"

"Ih Naga…"

"So…so… hmm… Let me think about it… By the way, where's Jumba? I need to talk to him."

"Jumba," experiment 800 said looking over at Jumba and Pleakley with satisfaction. She had done her job after all. "Goocha Jumba!" Jumba still didn't answer. "GOOCHA JUMBA!" Still no answer. "Tay…" experiment 800 smiled as she turned Jumba's cell phone screen to Pleakley and Jumba for Lilo to see.

"AWW…. I knew it!" Lilo exclaimed as she jumped in the air blasting a Leroy. As a consequence, she lost hold of Pleakley's hospital bed and it started rolling down a hill into a chaos of experiments. Jumba and Pleakley's ship was also deathly plummeting down as if it were to hit the ground. Lilo chased after the bed. "Do you like the name Tay?" Lilo questioned in a frantic voice.

"Ih."

"Me too; Tay it is…Tay can you do something for me?" Lilo gasped for breath.

"Ih."

"Get yourself and Jumba out of there in 5… 4… 3… 2…1 NOW!" Lilo demanded as she shot a circle of blasts around herself to make way. "JUMBA TAKE PLEAKLEY AND THESE BLASTERS! COME ON STITCH! LET'S ROCKAHULA!" Lilo shouted as loud as she could.

And with that, Lilo and Stitch tricycled then swung and hoisted themselves on a wing of Jumba and Pleakley's ship. The ship came crashing into the hospital bed as Jumba and Pleakley both ducked in fright.


	23. ---Hamsterviel!

"YOU MISSED JUMBA YOU DEFUNCTIVE, INCOMPETENT FOOLS!" Hämsterviel scolded to his crew of Leroys. "TURN AROUND AGAIN UNTIL YOU GET IT RIGH…!"

"Unauthorized presence detected… scanning… intruder identified… experiment 626 and… unidentified intruder… open fire!"

"Whoooa… I love this evil security system." Hämsterviel clapped as the ship turned away from the ocean and was directed towards ground combat for the second time. "I'll keep that in mind for my own hamster ship. Get a screen of those pesky intruders, NOW! And _you_ – you go be the backup."

"Ih!" a Leroy chanted as booms echoed throughout the ship.

"Where are they… WHERE ARE THEY!?" Hämsterviel shouted impatiently as the Leroys scanned through the security screens. "ARE THEY DEAD?!"

"We're right here Hämsterwheel!" Lilo sassed as Stitch tore through the door with his four hands. Stitch kicked the Leroy in the face.

"It's Hämsterviel – viel, viel, viel! When will I ever stop having to correct you bumbling buffoons?! Even behind my back!"

"Never... Put your hands up…" Lilo said strictly pointing her gun.

"You – little Hawaiian hula girl knickknack – are telling me – supreme evil genius and ruler of the universe – to surrender. Ha! Ha! Ha! You never learn – you should have stayed in college. You'll learn this time. GET 'EM LEROYS!"

"Are you talking about the phone books?" Lilo joked as she prepared her blaster for combat. The Leroys stopped in their tracks. "You'll need twenty or thirty more…"

"Ih!" Stitch agreed.

"No I mean – ohh nevermind. JUST GET 'EM!" With a thunder a footsteps, the Leroys ran over to Lilo and Stitch, who were firing at the Leroys. They were all turned to good thanks to Lilo's studies in biogenetic engineering. Hämsterviel gasped in shock. "How… did you… did you…"

"Haven't you been paying attention Hämsterviel…? Or were you too busy with your head in the clouds? Maybe it's you that should have stayed in college, better yet jail."

"Intruder detected… self-destructing in 10… 9…"

The tone in the ship immediately shifted to panic. Hämsterviel desperately played with the buttons to save his life. He was his only hope; no one was left to be on his side. In his efforts, he activated a shoe that kicked Lilo and a few Leroys into the windshield and out to planet Earth.

"LILO!"

"8… 7… 6…"

Stitch moved Hämsterviel out of the way by the cape and tried the controls himself "Detaka…"

"5… 4… 3… 2…" spinning spaceship directed at the sun.

It was no use.

"1…"

Kaboom!

And the war was over.


	24. Only the Good (or Bad?) Die Young

"LILO!" Nani screamed with absolute terror as she saw the billowing explosion of Jumba and Pleakley's ship from up above. Nani, David, Kaylani, Alani, and Angel were all cooped up in Lilo's orange spaceship; they were the air combat and they knew for sure that she was up there.

"Aunt Lilo was my only sister…" Nani cried as she lovingly hugged her two girls. "Best little sister any big sister could have… I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye…"

"Meega Boojiboo…" Angel added as she placed a hand on the cold glass that was being warmed by the flames. Meanwhile, David surprisingly set the ship on autopilot. He stumbled away from the controls to hug his family. "SAAKI!" Angel pointed out the window.

"Ya… whatever you say…" David cried not knowing what Angel said. Taking that as a yes, Angel maneuvered the craft towards falling Lilo in hopes to catch her. Angel dodged Jumba's evil genius equipment, spaceship seats, debris, flames, and anything else you could possibly name thanks to Pleakley.

"GANTU!" Angel screamed in fury as Gantu's ship suddenly appeared and beat her to Lilo. She had so many bad experiences with Gantu and Reuben in the past; why trust them? Nani, David, and the two girls leaned against the window still crying as the two crafts landed in the street. Surprisingly, there was little damage. Any damage that could have occurred from the exploded craft was taken care of by Ploot, Felix, and Holio instantaneously.

"LILO!" Nani screamed as she ran over to her little sister that was laying on top of Captain Gantu's spaceship's nose.

"Nani, don't run too fast!" David stopped as tears ran down his eyes; Lilo was like a sister to him too.

Lilo was face down and wasn't moving, but appeared to be breathing heavily. As Nani turned her over, she noticed that Lilo was bleeding terribly and that she possibly had some burns to the face. She was unconscious. Around Lilo was distraught Pleakley, Jumba, Pleakley's family, David, Nani, Angel, the two girls, Cobra, Captain Gantu, Reuben, and the experiments – all good. A reunion of everyone.

"JUMBA YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE! CALL AN AMBULA…!" Nani ordered as Jumba was taking a look at vivacious Pleakley. Meanwhile, Stitch, with Hamsterwheel in hand, came heroically pushing himself through the crowd. He finally made it through Jumba and Pleakley to see the girl – the girl he had always been able to protect and keep from harm's way.

KABOOM!

Hamsterwheel went crashing through the entire left strip of the town from building into building. Stitch's eyes bulged, his antennas resurfaced, his second set of arms popped out, and his three spines protruded. With an evil laugh, he pushed through the crowd towards the small city destroying everything in his path. Buildings shattered. Street signs reversed. People's left shoes eaten. Only instinct to destroy.


	25. Creator and Creation

Thanks to Gantu, Lilo was brought to the hospital with great immediacy. She was diagnosed with a severe concussion, a broken leg, a need for a blood transfusion and a need for about thirty stitches in her face. This was very minimal considering the horrendous circumstances. After proper surgery, everyone, including Gantu, Reuben, Nani, David, the two little girls, Angel, and Pleakley, sobbed in Lilo's hospital room on the seventh floor. Lilo was still unconscious and it was nearly noon. Hey, well, time doesn't fly when Pleakley's mom, brother, and sister were still there badgering about Pleakley.

On the other hand, Jumba was out looking for Stitch. From Stitch's explosion of rage, Jumba couldn't decipher whether he was pleased or worried about his little 626. He always wanted to see his little creation do what he had created him to do. He got to see that day with all his creations, but 626. But, there was this place in him that didn't want to see him do that – almost more than that of destruction. After literally looking everywhere on the island, Jumba still couldn't find Stitch. He decided to go back to the house, take the dune buggy up to the hospital, and pack up the last of his and Pleakley's belongings; his patient had checked out of there for good. Maybe after everyone got home could he continue his search.

Jumba walked through the foliage forest behind the house. They had ran through there so many times to find experiments that trails were clearly present. Finally, Jumba went through a passing that led him to where their spaceship used to be parked. Everything was demolished. The surfboards that once lined the exterior of the ship were in half, the original sign was torn down, the set of tables and chairs were blown away from each other. The grass was also needing a lawn mowing. Maybe more crop circles for Jumba? Nah - he doubted Nani would allow that. At least the ubernium pool was still active.

"Jumba and Pleakley's Bed Not Breakfast." Jumba smiled to himself with a slight laugh. He brushed away the debris and propped up the sign for good old times. He remembered how fun it used to be running that place with Pleakley. They really had a lot of people staying there up until its end at the old location. Yeah, it was stressful at times, but they handled it together. Jumba stood and admired the sign and what it stood for, thinking about Pleakley and himself. In the distance he could hear muffled cries of a familiar, wanted experiment. Jumba, now relieved, snook up on him listening through the bushes. It was the same place Jumba had found Stitch the morning of Stitch's capture - a long, long time ago.

"Once upon a time there was a happy duck family. They did everything together: they swam, ate fish, flew together, and danced the Glocknar. One day, the ducklings grew up and decided to leave the nest. One to the biggest lake of all, one to the creek down the way, one to a big oak tree, one remained, and one even to outer space. The adult ducklings were so happy…but the mother and the remaining one were very sad. They missed the other four." Stitch's tears rolled down his face and he vigorously licked his draining nostrils. He placed the closed book to the ground.

"Just cause I stopped there doesn't mean you have to." Jumba consoled to his experiment. He joined him on the ground and stroked his back.

"Leave Stitch alone." Stitch growled flaring his back spines. "Meega nala queesta! Meega nala Jumba!"

"I'm pretty sure I can deal with that." Jumba said taking Stitch's ferocity as nothing. "How about you finish the story, no?"

"Psshh…" Stitch flicked his paw as a no. He laid on the ground like a sad, depressed, old dog.

"I can read it to you?" Jumba questioned.

"Naga!" Stitch roared as he took the book out of Jumba's hands.

"What, am bad storyteller? Besides, want to know the ending, the suspense is killing me!"

Ignoring Jumba at first, Stitch sat on the ground facing away from Jumba with the book in his paws. He clawed through it for a while in silence.

"Stitch is ready to leave family," Stitch declared as he scurried over to Jumba and showed him a picture of the four ducklings leaving.

"Awww… Like this? And, where would you be going?"

"Japan…"

"Japan? Why Japan? Can come along to be seeing?"

"Naga… separate ways… forever…" Stitch pointed to the book.

"Oohh… I see. And, when will you be leaving?"

Stitch tapped his head in thought. He hadn't really thought about it. "Tomorrow... Yeah."

"Tomorrow huh. Will be saying goodbye? Everyone is going to be missing you."

"Nobody'll miss Stitch." A tear dripped down his face.

"That's not true, I know I'll miss you," Jumba confided as he rubbed a finger down Stitch's back. "And Pleakley will miss you after the dress store is rebuilt."

"Blaaaa…."

"Angel is going to miss you. You married her after all. Remember how fun the wedding was? You two are so happy together. I remember the first time I caught you two…"

"Okay… okay… I remember… Stitch bring Angel… happy?"

"I guess… But, I know not-so-little girl will miss you too."

"Lilo dead." Stitch corrected with his tears and booger-eating increasing.

"How do you know? Ohana took her to hospital. I'm getting no calls, so everything must be okay."

"Really Jumba?" Stitch's ears lifted from his face.

"I'm 51% sure."

"Good… good… good... Everything is good… But… Stitch cannot see Lilo again."

"Why not? You've been best pals for times since I made you…" Jumba was stunned and angered by Stitch's words.

"Stitch cannot protect Lilo. Lilo does not need Stitch. Stitch leave…"

"Nonsense! If you leave, she's going to need you more than ever... She's your friend Stitch, your ohana. The one you found all on your own. Me thinking you both needing each other."

Stitch thought it through for a second and nodded as he jumped into his creator's arms for a hug. He gave Jumba a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Jumba reciprocated, but not as sloppy.

"What about… Stitch didn't mean… " Stitch questioned as the sincere moment between creator and creation was over.

"Awww… no worries. Accidents happen. We'll just put it on Pleakley's credit cards. He, he, he…" Jumba laughed as Stitch laughed back. "How about you read the rest of that book to me? Your linguistic skills are quite improving."

"Oh okay…" Stitch agreed with a slight laugh as he got the book and sat on his evil genius' lap. He turned to the page he ended on just before he had started crying. "But, the four returned one sunny day. The mother and the other duckling were happy. The whole family was happy. Though they now belonged to different places and were to go back to those different places, they still truly belonged with each other and that happiness lasted forever…. The end."

"That was beautiful…" Jumba swatted at his eyes as Stitch closed the book.

"Stitch stay with ohana forever."


	26. Departure

"Mother, for the last time, I don't know why I was in a coma! I didn't even know I was in a coma for that matter!" Pleakley whined as he held the front automatic opening door for the group departing the hospital.

"Are you sure that it's not because you're still not married. I got this hottie right here, if you're interested, son."

"Ooo… I wouldn't pass that one up from the clowns Monoculo the Magnificent. She would probably let you join her plastic surgery legion." Lilo smirked as she slowly crutched her way past Pleakley. Nani and David who were holding their girls were at Lilo's sides if she were to fall down.

"UGHHH! Why don't you go bug Pixley or Bertley? They're not married either!"

"The youngest always has to marry first!"

"Who cares! Skip over me! I'd be glad! Earth studies are my life!"

"Ya, ya we've heard it Wendy…"

"That was supposed to be my name!" Bertley fisted passing by Pleakley with a glare.

"Let's go this way bodyguards and mutant bodyguards." Lilo requested as she crutched down the sidewalk past Jumba and Stitch with the dune buggy and trailer. Pleakley still held the door open for Gantu, Reuben, and Angel respectively.

"Lilo, sweetie, do you recognize those two over there?" Nani pointed over to Jumba and Stitch with hope. Stitch was slightly cowering, but then saw Angel.

"Am I supposed to recognize them bodyguard? Because I do not. Though, the one kissing the pink hippopotamus reminds me of a blue baboon. I don't know what to think of the weirdo leaning against that go-cart…" Lilo thought for a while. "Goodbye world's greatest cop, bye knuckle sandwich!" Lilo smiled to Gantu and Reuben as Pleakley was now holding the door open for others entering and exiting the hospital still wrapped up in the conversation with his family.

After Stitch's long embrace with Angel, Stitch being more confident immediately darted over to nonexpectant Lilo. "Get away from me baboon, you have rabies!" Lilo screamed loudly. Pleakley finally turned around, looking at Jumba and Stitch with a relieved grin. From his eye, Jumba looked like he was daydreaming.

"Meega Stitch, naga baboon," Stitch shuddered.

"He has double rabies! Get away from my Frankenstein stitches!" Lilo shrieked as Stitch decided to hug her bruised, upright leg.

"That's your dog Stitch." David reassured.

"He don't look like a dog, bodyguard, and I don't remember him so he's definitely not mine. Protect me, save me!" Lilo clasped David in fright.

"626 is better protector than surfer boy." Jumba smiled patting Stitch on the head.

"Cool, I have five bodyguards! I must be a very important person, huh Giganto?"

"I'd say." Jumba smiled as he gave Lilo a crooked hug over her crutches. This was interrupted by the yelling of Pleakley. Jumba knew it was coming. He did it on purpose.

"Jumba! You parked in the fire lane!"

"I don't see no fire lane sign!"

"There isn't a sign. It's the red paint. Didn't you read the color rules in the DMV handbook when we were teaching Lilo how to drive?"

"Nawww… me?"

"You better move it now Mr.!"

"Fine, watch me!" Jumba backed up six inches to get the front fender out of the red boundary. "Happy Pleakley!"

"No! Now you're in the crosswalk! You almost ran over that poor, old lady." This was the same old lady that had swatted Jumba with the newspaper months ago when he was out volunteering. She was certainly happy to do it again.

"Ouch!" Jumba cried.

"Well you deserved it Mr."

"Well, then... How about _you_ come park the vehicle." Jumba couldn't stop smiling. He hadn't smiled like this in ages. He got out behind the wheel of the car and got behind Pleakley shoving him towards the car. Pleakley looked back at the automatic opening doors and at the smile on Jumba's face.

"Uh, uh, not me. I've been told that I've been in a coma for nearly two years. Don't you know? I'll drive like a drunken driver high on some illegal, organic substance."

"Ha! I don't think so. Saying that my little one, I volunteer you to drive home!" Jumba joked, but being sincere. "You'll be fine." Jumba plopped Pleakley in the driver's seat as he took a seat in back with Nani and David. He was directly behind Pleakley. Lilo was shotgun and Stitch, Angel, Kaylani, and Alani were in the back, not backity back.

Pleakley turned around scoldingly. "Fine Jumba, don't come crying to me when this car is up in flames."

"Ooo… tell me that when you're going as slow as sluggy slug in slug circus…! Joking! Your safest driver I know… since I taught you how to go reverse…"

"Stop distracting me you big flirt!" Pleakley giggled with a blush as he readjusted the back mirror - Jumba finally, for the first time, noticing his blush.

"Meet you at Wendy's hovel! We still have a lot of talking to do, and it's coming from you idiot scientist." Pixley announced as Pleakley started the engine.

With a "Right…," a "See ya clowns," and an "I prefer to be called… !" from Pleakley, Lilo, and Jumba respectfully, the two parties took off.


	27. The Confession?

After safely maneuvering through the parade of people and experiments down old Kokaua town, the Pelekai ohana finally made it back to their old home.

"What in the name of Ploozark took you so long?" Mother Pleakley scolded as the big family bustled out of the tiny automobile like a clown circus.

"Don't blame me, blame…"

"Nobody cares you idiot scientist!" Pixley interrupted as Pleakley locked the dune buggy and Pixley, Bertley, and Mother Pleakley scuttled up the stairs to the front door. "I see your hovel has been downgraded to a dump."

"It's a home!" Lilo answered excitedly trekking up the stairs with a great amount of assistance. Hoping her memory was returning, David and Nani gave her a pat on the back. Meanwhile, Jumba was silently pretending to scream and was throwing his arms up in the air as he was becoming insane by Pixley and the rest of Pleakley's family. Pleakley elbowed him to stop, took the house keys from him, and opened the door.

"So, how did our little baby Wendy fall into a coma?" Mother Pleakley questioned in a motherly, but almost devilish tone, as she and Pleakley's siblings sat down at one side of the kitchen table. Nervously, Jumba sat on the opposite side with Pleakley, whom had a very curious look on his face wanting to know as well.

"Doctor left it undiagnosed." Jumlba finally answered. There was a pause as the Pleakley's waited for more information, but Jumba's nervousness had got the best of him.

"Sit and give us some more information." Mother Pleakley demanded.

Jumba stumbled back into his seat with a deep breath. "Doctor said it wasn't because of depletion of oxygen, infection, intoxication, drugs, or injury," from memory.

"Well there's our answer," Pixley blurted snidely.

"Hey! Only information Jumba got. Leave it to those primitive Earth practitioners. I'm not even certified and I did all myself." Jumba said, insulted, as Nani and David waltzed in and started making a batch of lemonade.

"What do you mean you did all of it yourself?" Mother Pleakley questioned suspiciously as Bertley was nodding off to sleep.

"Well, first, I monitor his heartrate, then his oxygen levels, then his brain activity… here, you want to see it, take it." Jumba shoved a jumble of papers across the table – he was prepared. Pleakley picked up one of his own brain activity over time and studied it. Pleakley'd seen similar figures from Jumba's evil genius work.

"This still doesn't say why Wendy fell into a coma!" Mother Pleakley declared after careful analyzation and while Pixley threw the papers back at Jumba with disgust.

"You want the answer, huh? The answer is: I have no scientific answer! I have not a clue…! Sometimes… I think to be not genius after all…" Jumba sighed as Bertley was awoken from his sleep and crossed his arms like Mother Pleakley and Pixley. Pleakley was surprised at the last part of Jumba's words.

"Lemonade anyone?" Nani offered cutting in on the conversation. David was behind her with cups.

"Any non-scientific answers?" Mother Pleakley wondered getting back on subject and taking a glass. Her lips puckered as she took a sip pushing it away. Meanwhile, Nani and David sat down hoping to make Jumba feel not so outnumbered.

To say the truth, Jumba had certainly found the answer today and it definitely wasn't scientific. He wondered if Pleakley knew the answer as his lone eye looked desperately into the four of Jumba's awaiting his answer. "None that I be knowing…" Jumba lied. "All that is mattering is that Pleakley survived and he is fine." Jumba smiled at Pleakley putting an arm around the back of Pleakley's chair.

"That is not all that matters. Comas like this run in our family. They occur in bouts."

"Yeah, that's what happened to Dad!" Pixley broke in silencing both Jumba and Pleakley. Pleakley clearly did not want her to continue. "Remember, Bertley? Dad had this huge drinking problem and as Mom tried to get him off of it, because of Pleakley on the way, he started having his comas. He couldn't live without being a drinker. Pleakley didn't even get to meet him. Dad died the day after he was born." Bertley was asleep by Pixley's boringness.

"Toast anyone? Jumba and Pleakley both make some real good toast?" Nani fidgeted with a fake smile. An awkward moment of silence. Tears were dripping down Pleakley's face and he was trying to shrug them away, try to keep his cool.

"I think it would be best if Wendy comes home for a little while." Mother Pleakley stated as Bertley fisted in his sleep.

"This is my home Mother!" Pleakley protested angrily while Jumba looked absolutely distraught.

"You can move back in with me and Bertley just like the good old days. Doesn't that sound great?" Mother Pleakley ignored. "Then we could take you to the clinic and get you a new wardrobe. Seems like Earth just wears female clothes. Bertley could even take you down to the strip rock paper glornet nights down at the..."

"NO MOTHER!" Bertley screamed half drowsy.

"NO!" Jumba protested, which made Pleakley flash a smile across his face. What kind of picture had that painted in Jumba's mind? "That's alright. Pleakley is to be staying here. Everything is alright… Female earth clothes are totally normal. Don't want to be taking that drastic of a measure."

"What Mother says goes," Pixley snooted.

"I know what's best for you Wendy, dear… Everything is going to be fine," Mother Pleakley consoled over the table to her son. Pleakley gave her a strange, embarrassed look.

"None of you know what's best for Pleakley." Jumba interrupted the silence in a dead serious voice.

"Excuse me, idiot scientist, I didn't hear you over that ridiculous accent?" Pixley shouted with a laugh, "You think you know what's best for my brother?"

"What's best for me, Jumba?" Pleakley whispered up to his alien comrade sincerely locking his eye to his four. There was a long moment of silence as Jumba tried to find his words. "Hey, why's it so cold in here?"

"LILO!" Nani screamed as the the Plogonarians, Jumba, and David turned their heads towards the fridge. Stitch, Angel, Kaylani, and Alani had guilty looks on their faces trying to conceal what they had. In striped pajama bottoms, Twisted Sister wig and shirt, and alien technology headphones that were blaring loud music, Lilo was handing her accomplices ice cream sandwich after ice cream sandwich after ice cream sandwich.

"AHHHHH!" Lilo screamed along with the two girls darting from the kitchen towards Lilo's old treehouse, faster than expected. Behind, Stitch and Angel were both carrying the entire box with the rest of the freezer burned ice cream sandwiches and the intergalactic computer that was playing Lilo's music.

"YOU CAN'T EAT ALL THOSE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES!" Nani hissed leaning over the railing on the front deck. Bertley, Pixley, Mother Pleakley, David, and Jumba soon joined her.

"Yeah, that has 96 servings young lady!" Pleakley agreed in astonishment.

"You can't tell me what to do bodyguard! You're fired! Besides, you never did a good job at protecting or taking care of me." Lilo shouted back opening a sandwich and stuffing it in her mouth about ready to collapse. The girls and the two experiments were also eating their fair share, or more than fair share.

"UGHHHH! LOLO!" Nani yelled racing down the steps and hobbling across the little stream towards the treehouse. David was behind her, while the aliens remained on the porch. "THAT DOES IT AUNT LILO!" Nani shouted climbing up the makeshift ladder as Lilo turned up her music of Alice Cooper.

"Bodyguards, save me from my ex-bodyguards! They want revenge!" Lilo screamed as she hid in a corner of the treehouse. In the heat of war, Stitch, Angel, Alani, and Kaylani threw a huge pile of experiments' badness level charts and the empty ice cream sandwich box at the intruding party. This caused Nani to fall into David's arms at the bottom of the ladder. The box landed on David's head.

"LILO! WHEN I GET AHOLD OF SOME CRAYONS, I'M GOING TO…!"

"DRAW A PORTRAIT OF YOUR STINKY FACE!"

"AT LEAST IT WOULD BE PRETTIER THAN THE ONE I'M GOING TO MAKE OF YOU!"

"ADD IN ALL YOUR ZITS AND YOUR HIPPO BUTT AND IT WOULD BE TEN TIMES UGLIER…"

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

"I'M ALREADY IN MY ROOM!"

"THAT ISN'T YOUR ROOM!"

"IT IS TOO MY ROOM!"

"AHHHH!"

"AHHHH!"

"AHHHH!" The two little girls yelled at each other in mockery of the two older ones.

"YOU ARE SUCH A BAD INFLUENCE…..!" Nani yelled.

"GET A LIFE TROUBLEMAKER…!" Lilo yelled back.

"YOU ARE THE TROUBLEMAKER!" Nani pointed.

"Nani, Nani, calm down. Lilo doesn't even know who she is right now…" David comforted giving Nani a hug from behind, which made the two fall into tears looking up at the youngest Pelekai.

"That's right other ex-bodyguard, I'm a rockstar! Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar!"

"She's going to be alright…." David tried to console. "It can't get any worse…"

"I'm here!" Pleakley announced breaking the silence as he climbed up the ladder to the top of the treehouse in his old magician cape and hat, but still in blue and pink Hawaiian dress underneath.

"I didn't invite you to this V.I.P. party Monoculo the Magnificent." Lilo said sternly crossing her arms as she motioned over her bodyguards with ice cream sandwiches in paws.

"Of course you did, silly. The thing is, I vanished the invitation you gave me, so I just assumed I could come…"

"I didn't give out any paper invitations." Lilo scowled.

"Oh…" Pleakley thought for a second. "Well, I also vanished your intent to invite me to your party and your knowing of giving out paper invitations. But, don't worry, I'm invited." Awkward laugh as Lilo still was not buying it. Pleakley pulled at his collar. "I'm a magician – you know, that vanishes stuff…?"

"….Oh yeah! It's all coming back to me now! I did invite you!" Lilo exclaimed as Pleakley let out a relived sigh. "Do your stu…!" There was a pause as the five audience members turned around to sit. "Why's Giganto here?" Lilo questioned suspiciously. Jumba was up in the tree and had the ice cream sandwich box about halfway full. He had successfully picked up all the ice cream sandwiches on the ground while they weren't looking.

"He's my assistant. Couldn't do it without him…" Pleakley blurted with a blush, which made Jumba smile and fall out of the tree. At least he landed on his patooki. "He knows what's best for me in all…" Jumba didn't know whether to take that seriously or sarcastically.

"Show! Show! Show!" The kids chanted as Jumba and Pleakley held a glance for what seemed like an eternity.

"Oh… right… I need a volunteer from the audience!" Pleakley smiled as he fluffed and swirled his cape.

"Me, me, me!" The kiddies and two experiments chanted. "No, me!"

"You'll all get your turn," Pleakley chuckled almost evilly, "Jumb - I mean Giganto – why don't you pick our first volunteer?"

"Alani and Kaylani, step right up." Jumba smiled playing along with Pleakley.

"Double volunteer!" Pleakley cheered as the two girls stood up and raced over to the two aliens. "Now, when I say alacablooey, drop everything you got into this mystical, fascinating magician box Giganto is holding…" The girls nodded. "Alacablooey!"

"Yay!" Lilo cheered as the two girls looked at their empty hands and clapped. This was too easy. "I want to go next, me next!"

"Giganto, do we have another volunteer?"

"I don't think we have one Mon…"

"ME NEXT!" Lilo shouted as she stumbled over to Jumba and Pleakley on one leg.

"Alacablooey!"

"That is so cool! You two should tour! You try baboon and hippopotamus!" Lilo clapped as she sat back down next to Alani and Kaylani. Stitch and Angel weren't buying it as much.

"Alacablooey!" Pleakley gleamed happily, knowing this was the last of the uneaten ice cream sandwiches to gather. Or so he thought.

"Alakazoo! Alakazoo!" Stitch smirked as Pleakley and Jumba gave the two creations a 'what, are you kidding me?' look. But, giving in, Jumba gave Stitch two ice cream sandwiches. Stitch gave one to Angel as Lilo, Kaylani, and Alani clapped.

"Well, it looks like it's time for us to hit the road…" Pleakley said nervously hoping the girls hadn't caught alakazoo fever. Jumba nodded double checking the treehouse for any creamy delights they might have missed.

"Awww… on tour already? But I was just starting to have fun!" Lilo disagreed groggily.

"I know what would be more fun…" Jumba laughed scooping up Lilo, "A good night's sleep!" Meanwhile, David scooped up Kaylani, and Nani scooped up Alani. Pleakley carried the ice cream sandwich box with their computer inside.

"And some drugs…" Lilo added.

"We leave tomorrow…" Mother Pleakley stated to Pleakley as Jumba laid Lilo down on the couch for bed. "Let's get to bed Wendy, you can sleep with me tonight." Mother Pleakley comforted leading them upstairs and acting as if she knew where she was going. Jumba and Pleakley were both shocked - too shocked to answer or resist.

"Better change the sheets, idiot scientist! And clean up the rotten mess!" Pixley smirked as the three unwelcome Plorgonarians sat on Pleakley's bottom bunk. Not listening, but only thinking, Jumba busily scooped up his letters that were still all over the place and piled them on his desk.

"Jumba and little one to be sleeping outside tonight." Jumba finally answered somewhat roughly as he grabbed his old sleeping bag in one hand and Pleakley's fragile hand in the other. Still in a blur, Pleakley responded with a gasp grabbing Jumba's letters and a few pillows.

"Wait, Wendy dearest, what are all of these lipstick marks doing up here?" Mother Pleakley called pointing to the underside of Jumba's mattress. Her face turned into a grin. "He must have a… girlfriend!"


	28. No More Secrets

Jumba swatted open his old sleeping bag. To his surprise, it was coated in dust inside and out; to him it didn't seem that long ago since he had last used it. About 12 years – maybe longer than he had thought. He laid it down on the ground with a thud. There was still not a peep out of Pleakley - odd. Jumba couldn't interpret which emotion was on Pleakley's mind at the moment – possibly all of them, knowing him.

"Do you think Earth sunsets are more prettier than Earth sunrises?" Jumba broke in casually sitting next to Pleakley, who was watching the ending sunset on the grass, still in Hawaiian dress.

"No, I think sunrises are prettier…" Pleakley slightly smiled ruffling the letters into order in his lap.

"Why?" urged on by an answer, one he awaited for a long time.

"Why do you ask?" Pleakley whispered.

"Because Jumba wants to know…" Jumba whispered back somewhat desperately.

"I guess I would have to say because of all the colors. Just when you thought they were clashing on a dress - the blues, pinks, and oranges - there they are up in the sky flashing back at you. Beautiful as can be. It's fascinating…" Pleakley was off in his head imagining sunrises.

"Is there anything that doesn't fascinate you?" Jumba joked rhetorically.

"Some things…" Pleakley answered, surprising Jumba. "But, some things I'm really fascinated about."

"Like what?" Jumba queried looking off into the sunset. Those were his favorite after all.

"Like… _like_ …" Ooo, this wasn't going to be good. "How you hid these letters from me all those years! You always hide everything from me – always want to be alone! Why do you write something so nice, so sweet, almost like you love me – want to be more than friends-, to just keep it inside you?! Not let no one in the world, including me, know?!" Pleakley stormed.

Jumba was in awe at his little one, not being able to answer.

"Like hear this Jumba: Dear Pleakley, after returning to evil genius lab…"

"GIVE ME THAT!" Jumba demanded yanking the letter from Pleakley's strong grasp.

"This is exactly your problem Jumba!"

"I don't have a problem! If it's anyone who has a problem, it's you." Jumba rampaged as he fell into silence. Then, the two crossed their arms in disgust at the other for several moments.

" _So_ … you think you're not an evil genius anymore?"

"Yes…" Jumba almost cringed, looking down at the uninteresting earth.

"What happened?"

"You happened…" Jumba murmured inaudibly.

" _What did you say?_ "

"You happened…" a little louder, now playing with his letters with nervousness.

"What is that supposed to mean? All that time in the hospital with me was a waste of your time?!"

"Shhh… little one… not meaning it that way… have been since we first met…"

"So you mean, me, being in your life in general, has taken away all your time in evil experimenting, sucked all the genius right out of you!? Because you think I'm stupid! Well I'm no…"

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH JUMBA MISSED YOU WHILE JUMBA'S BEEN IN THIS LIVING SOAP OPERA FOR TWO YEARS!" Jumba cried trying to hide his face and emotions. Pleakley was too fast and stole Jumba's hands away from him, both surprised.

"DID YOU KNOW IT WAS YOU WHO CAUSED MY COMA?" Pleakley growled back accusingly at the former evil genius looking down at the etchings in Jumba's hands and the tears they contained. Now they were getting somewhere.

"I ALREADY KNEW. THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION!"

"WHY DID I FALL INTO A COMA JUMBA, WHY?" Pleakley screamed trying to get Jumba going further.

"BECAUSE YOU… YOU… my… little one… l…love… Jumba…" Jumba panted taking his time gulping the air. How at some points Pleakley was being so outright obvious – continuing to be his pretend wife, all those playful conversations. Even kissing him straight on the lips at Lilo's ukulele orchestra's premiere of Romeo and Juliet, but still playing it off as if he were acting. It never was a show. "How long… have you…?"

"I'd say a good seven years…" Pleakley said calming down and satisfied. "After I had stopped going through all those petty phases, I finally found a phase that wouldn't grow old. I finally found out who I am and what means the most in my life." Pleakley glanced with a blush at Jumba. In return, Jumba smiled a loving smile.

"Can guess how long Jumba been feeling same way?"

"Youuuu.!…? Just a few hours ago?"

"No! Not that impulsive!"

"Okay…" tapping his chin. "When I fell into my coma?"

"No."

"Before or during?"

"Before… little one is not being good guesser," Jumba wrapped an arm around Pleakley.

"Before huh? I don't know… There is a lot of before."

"Lots of during…" Jumba reminisced.

"Tell me, Jumba…"

"When we first met… Just came to realize…"

"Really? It was love at first sight? You are impulsive after all!"

"Could be putting it that way…"

Pleakley giggled happily leaning closer into Jumba's body, if at all possible, watching the sunset come to an end.

"Heh, heh… sunsets and sunrises aren't that different. Think about it. Even happen at opposite times of day, but couldn't have one without other…"

"Like you and me…" in a whisper.

And light became the darkness. Only the occasional flicker of a firefly or the pshychadelic rocket lava lamp centered like a campfire could be seen.

"Is it okay if I read one of your letters aloud?"

"Only if you promise not to be going to fall into another coma. You heard your mother… wait… why listen to that battle axe?"

Pleakley slightly giggled at his last comment reaching for any letter. "But, why do you look so nervous?"

"You're to be the first one I've ever – as you say – been open to, shared Jumba's most deepest thoughts, talked about Jumba's most deepest thoughts." Pleakley smiled lovingly to Jumba as Jumba pulled him near. Pleakley was about to respond, but Jumba continued. "Something I used to not want to do. Yet, surprisingly, I want to open up with you… I don't want to hide anymore. I trust you Pleakley…" Pleakley had never seen Jumba this vulnerable.

"I trust you, too, Jumba…" Pleakley flicked the lone letter in a position so he could better read it in the moonlight. "Dear, Pleakley…" Pleakley began looking up at Jumba's reaction and placing his hand in Jumba's. "Almost been two years since all my precious experiments being captured. I thought it would be a boring life living in rundown house having no real purpose. You see, capture 626, capture the other 625…" Pleakley paused still making sure it was okay for him to continue. "But, yet, is not boring. Having you by my side to liven those days – my best friend. Be there to make me smile or give a laugh. I never see this ending – you and me… forever… Yours truly, Jumba…" There was a long pause. "You know, your writing is fascinatingly romantic and beautiful… Are these love letters Jumba?"

"Fascinating or really fascinating?"

" _Really_ fascinating…" Pleakley blushed. Better than just 'really' fascinating – had a zing to it.

"You know, you're quite pretty when you blush…" Jumba said, distracted.

"Thanks… Jumba…" Pleakley melted probably blushing even more.

The two stared at each other for a long time, both in each others arms. Oblivious of the world, Pleakley would have put it; even to your spying brother, sister, and mother up in your old, shared bunkbedroom.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me Pleakley _and_ … I… am loving you …" Jumba murmured stroking Pleakley's noodly back as Pleakley was now playing with one of Jumba's ears.

"I love you too… Jumba…"

"Do you remember end of coma? You know that I went in your mind to save you, right?"

"Yes I knew that, but the details are all pretty fuzzy…"

"You thought you were the king of all the food groups…" Jumba blurted nudging Pleakley in their everlasting embrace.

"I did?!"

"Yes, even beat me and experiment 800 up with some fancy, netted stick because you thought we were the new food groups to combat!"

"I'm sorry?!"

Jumba brushed it off. "Ahhh- Then you took me through all your favorite princess movies…"

"I'm sorry?" Pleakley didn't know what to say.

"No, I actually liked it," Jumba admitted. "Dressing up like all them couples. Then, we were back here and you kissed me on the cheek…" Jumba waited for a response, but he didn't get one. Pleakley was trying to control his completely orange face. "Now, my little one-eyed one, do you remember very, very, very, _very_ last part of your coma?" Jumba questioned in desperation.

"No… who I am even talking to…?" Pleakley said blushing even more. "Did I hit you again or did I do something so embarrassing or did I…?"

Jumba started leaning in for the kiss giving excited Pleakley a cue to do the same.

"Hey, my little one? You're kissing my chin…" Jumba chuckled as Pleakley's lone closed eye jutted open in frustration. He never imagined his first real kiss being of the awkward type.

"Oh… right…" Pleakley smiled embarrassedly as the two leaned in for their second. "Jumba, _my big one_ , you're licking my forehead…"

"Oh…" Jumba almost blushed putting his tongue back in his mouth and readjusting Pleakley's wig. Maybe he did it for the sake of Pleakley's previous embarrassment. "This didn't happen in your coma…"

"Earthlings say third time is a charm?" Pleakley smiled as the two laughed trying to relieve some of their nervousness. For what seemed to be a great amount of time trying to fit two unlikely puzzle pieces together, both parties finally became lost in each other's' soft caresses.

"Let's move… over to the… sleeping bag… oh that feels… soooo good…" Jumba gasped as Pleakley's two tongues were wrapped around Jumba's lone tongue. He got on his feet, with Pleakley in arms, in the heat of it all.

"Hey, hold it mister! On Earth, you're supposed to wait…" heavy breathing "…till marriage to do that kind of stuff… That's what _all_ the earthlings do!" Pleakley protested with all his might breaking from their long kiss. This left Pleakley even oranger than completely orange now.

"What is Jumba supposed to do? We only have this one sleeping bag because you butchered yours for that silly Magnificent Man costume…" Pleakley didn't respond, so Jumba began to think this wasn't what Pleakley was getting to. "Did you think Jumba was getting you into sleeping bag so that we could do… _something_?"

Pleakley nodded. Everything was going too fast, for they had longed for it for too long and were now in lust. Still, it needed to be discussed. "Yes Jumba, I want to wait till marriage…" Jumba sat Pleakley down on the sleeping bag gently and put a comforting arm around him.

"Okay, Pleakley… I know in the past I was quite pressuring sometimes, like being evil genius assistant or being experiment capturer. But, I want you to know that I would never pressure you into anything like this nor ever want to hurt you. I'll wait for you…" Jumba said respectfully even though he had no intentions that night to be doing such a strenuous, intimate act on the ground for goodness sake.

"I know…"

"May I ask, have you ever…"

"No, I have never had my first time…" Pleakley admitted putting his hand on top of one of Jumba's hands slighting dreaming of the future moment and cuddling into his warmth. Pleakley had seen Jumba naked a few times, including the time after Spike spiked him, so after a while he figured out how they could fit together physically, beautifully. "What about you?"

"Ex-wife… eh- let's not go there. Been about fifteen years since then, though. Heard it's a whole lot better when you do it with someone you love. And I…"

Not listening to Jumba anymore, Pleakley was now envisioning his new lover and him being together, like he had seen in all the Earth movies and his previous steamy, midnight dreams. Candles lit. Smell of perfume, cologne, and mixed bodily aromas in the air. Sweet music in the background accompanying licks, kisses, nibbles, sucking, massaging, and thrusting. Red rose petals sprinkled all over the bed applying themselves to their moist skin. Clothes making good, useful rugs on the floor. Soft pleading moans of…

"Pleakley… are you there?"

"Oh yeah… sorry just lost myself for a second. What did you say, darling?"

"So tell Jumba, what would you say to taking Jumba's hand in marriage?"

Pleakley froze and acted as if he was dreaming again. His lone eye bulged, his heartrate fluttered, he began to profusely sweat, and his body began to strangely twitch. "Whaaa…"

"Pleakley, _my little one-eyed one_ , will you marry me?" Jumba sincerely asked as he elevated himself from the ground and presented Pleakley with a ring that was made out of that rock Lilo had gave Pleakley as a farewell gift to G.A.C.C.


	29. It's My Life!

"Hi Monoculo the Magnificent! Hi Giganto! You missed out on all the pre parties. I'm bound to win an award at the Musician's Hall of Fame awards night tonight!"

"Ih, rock'n'roll!" Stitch agreed as Jumba and Pleakley sat next to each other at the table digging into the stack of pancakes, smiles covering up their haziness from lack of sleep. Angel was rubbing her eyes also fighting back her sleepiness.

"Lilo, I told you, it's called a graduation." Nani corrected with a little snap, "It's not some rocker and roller hall of fame."

"It's Musician's Hall of Fame… Even Daniel Adair is going to be there!"

" _Who's that_?"

"My drummer in my band, who else?"

"She'll be fine…" David put a hand on Nani's back as Nani sighed. "Watch this, this is all she needs to know… What's your name, Lilo?" David winked at her.

"How dare you ex-bodyguard. How could you not know my name!? My name is Chad Kroeger! Hey, hey I wanna be a rockstar…"

"Aye, aye, aye…" Nani shook her head in disappointment as Lilo began to play a make believe guitar.

"Look on the bright side Nani, at least she can still walk in graduation." Pleakley answered catching the sight of his hand. Instead, Mother Pleakley, Bertley, and Pixley were staring at Jumba.

"More like crutch…" Jumba added with a snicker.

"But her brain is lolo!" Nani forked her pancake as the front door creaked and was shut. "You didn't have to put up with her _pre-parties_ last night!"

"Hey, who wants to hear my speech when I receive my award?"

"Meega! Meega!" Stitch and Angel smiled as Lilo started in a dramatic voice. The two little girls clapped.

"Lilo…?"

"Daniel Adair!" Lilo cheered as she stumbled over to the shy young man standing in the kitchen's corridor. She hugged him as he crashed the two cymbals he was holding behind her back in a confused embrace.

"I came over to… what happened to… you?"

"What do you mean? This is how I always look. You should know because we have band rehearsals every week!" Lilo struck a pose as her best friend blushed in her presence.

"Drummer boy needs to clang those things a little harder."

Taking Jumba's advice, the young man accelerated his two cymbals as hard as he could and let them break from each other in a fine gesture. Consequently, everyone fought for their ears, or Plorgonarian quark flanches, in absolute surprise and were left in silence – everything was said by the bang that was gently fading away.

"We… are… TOTALLY GOING TO ROCK THE MUSICIAN'S HALL OF FAME TONIGHT!" Lilo applauded jumping into his arms. He steadied her back into her seat with a worried expression on his face.

"Well, looks like it is time for us to leave this place Wendy, for the better." Mother Pleakley announced still hearing the ringing in her Plorgonarian quark flanch. "Get your last belongings and let's hit the wormhole back… Oh and don't forget your girlfriend!"

"Me thinking not…"

With what seemed like another clang of the cymbals, the four Plorgonarians and one Kweltikwanian broke out into a fit of rage leaning into each other's faces.

"IF YOU TAKE HIM AWAY, HE'S GOING TO FALL INTO ANOTHER COMA!"

"UNTHINKABLE! WHY WOULD YOU BE THINKING THAT?"

"BECAUSE… I CAUSED HIS COMA!"

"WHAT! I KNEW IT!"

"YOU MONSTER!"

"HE'S DEFINITELY GOING BACK TO MOM'S!"

"NO!".

"LET JUMBA EXPLAIN!"

"WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH!"

"IT'S OPPO…!"

"HOLD IT! HOLD EVERYTHING!" Pleakley broke in leaving everyone in silence. Jumba had one of Pleakley's hands and Pleakley's mother had the other. The Pelekai's and drummer boy sat in shock. "Mom, I want to stay here, I'm happy here…"

"I wouldn't stay here even if…" Pixley began as Pleakley shot her a disgusted face.

"You said that last time, son… I don't believe you. That scientist is manipulating with your mind, isn't he?" Mother Pleakley turned her back in shame.

" _Mom_ , in fact, I'm very happy, happiest I've ever been…"

"How could you be? You're not safe here and you're not even mar…"

"But I will be…" Pleakley gleamed as Jumba scooped Pleakley up into his arms. The three Plorgonarians' mouths dropped as Pleakley was flaunting his ring. They thought their single eyes last night and this morning had deceived them.

"Awww!" Angel purred as she put an arm around Stitch.

"Eegalagoo!"

"Big burly guys are so much better than plastic surgery city, huh clowns?"

"Wendy, what do you you mean? Where's the girlfriend?" Mother Pleakley said confusedly.

"And what girlfriend are you talking about mother?" Pleakley said furiously.

"The one that put the kissy marks on the bottom of your evil roommate's bed."

Jumba and Pleakley's faces lurched towards each other – Pleakley in embarrassment and Jumba in surprise then playfulness. "Oh, I think there's been a mistake…" Jumba smirked. "That was my girlfriend! She gets pretty feisty…" Jumba placed Pleakley back on the ground with an embrace – a type of embrace Mother Pleakley had remembered herself doing to her husband years ago.

"So, your're saying that my _son_ is your _girlfriend_?"

"Yeah. Not girlfriend anymore, my fiancé. You gonna have a problem with that?" Jumba continued to smirk knowing it would.

"Please tell me this is another one of your lies? Where's that annoying lie detector of yours?" Mother Pleakley gasped letting it all sink in.

Jumba and Pleakley both shook their heads back and forth with an excited grin.

"YOU'RE COMING HOME!" Mother Pleakley demanded grabbing Pleakley's hand and starting to drag him out the door. Pixley and Bertley followed.

"NO I AM NOT!" Pleakley threw her hand away and backed the Plogonarians out on the porch. "I AM SICK OF YOU TELLING ME WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO WEAR, HOW TO ACT, HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL, HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE…! ON EARTH, A FAMILY IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPORTIVE AND LOVING OF EACH OTHER NO MATTER WHAT! THIS IS MY FAMILY, YOU ARE NOT! JUMBA AND I LOVE EACH OTHER AND WE'RE GETTING MARRIED! THERE IS NO WAY _YOU_ ARE GOING TO MANIPULATE ME OTHERWISE!" Pleakley ran back inside the house and slammed the door. His "mother" was likely on the other end bawling her eyes out, but he didn't care. He'd had enough for one lifetime.

"Sounds like your mind is under the influence of an evil genius. What happened, my little one?" Jumba laughed as Pleakley collapsed into Jumba's awaiting arms.

"You, Jumba…" Pleakley blushed as they leaned in for a needed kiss.

"Encore, encore! Do another cymbal crash Daniel!"


	30. Pomp and Circumstance

"This is not where I live! I live in a mansion next to the Play Boy bunnies!"

"Ssshh…" Nani quieted crazy Lilo as she opened Lilo's dorm room with a key.

"Mommy, what's a Play Boy bunny?" Alani asked holding her dad's hand.

"Lilooo…." Nani growled accusingly.

"Chad Krooooger…." Lilo mimicked back at her as she spread out on her cozy bed with Angel and Stitch. The two girls followed Lilo's lead, but instead jumped on the bed.

"Okay Lilo, we don't have a lot of time. Where is your cap and gown?"

"I'm not a girl, why would I need a gown!?"

"You're a girl, Lilo!"

"No I'm not! Here I'll prove it to you ex-bodyguard!"

"Lilo Pelekai, nobody wants to see that!" Nani said reaching for the end of Lilo's skirt in hopes to save her sister's dignity.

"Ooo, looky… A fiddle!" Lilo reached for her ukulele on the windowsill and plucked a string as hard as she could, which made the note sink an octave.

"Eeek! Where's your cap and gown!"

"Caps and gowns are always on the backside of the door. It's a G.A.C.C. tradition." Pleakley smiled as he had finished telling Jumba and Lilo's best friend about his college dorm days. They all sat on Lilo's dormmate's bed.

"You could have told me that sooner… Sit up and hold still."

With some struggling and tackling, Lilo was finally graduation ready, not Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ready. "I look like a doofus." Lilo glanced in a mirror from a distance.

"Mom and Dad would be so proud of you…" Nani choked as she looked at the slightly burnt up picture of Mom, Dad, Lilo, and herself before they had become a broken family. It was tacked up on the wall.

"Because I look like a doofus?"

" _No_ , there's a lot of things that they would be proud about." Nani put an arm around her sister wiping some of her own tears. "Like being their first to get a college degree… or saving the universe a gazillion times… But, mostly they would be proud because of the fine lady you turned out to be…"

A moment of silence passed as Lilo took the photograph in hand and looked at it like she was remembering - remembering the days before that rainstorm that killed their parents. That is, when they would all go out to the beach for the whole weekend and just lounge around, play in the water, surf, and build sandcastles. Sandcastles were always Lilo's favorite. Once Dad helped her build one that was nearly six feet high; too bad inevitable high tides always have to come and ruin everything. But, hey, high tides bring more delicate seashells upon the beach, don't they?

"I'm not a lady either…" Lilo finally corrected as she grabbed her laptop from a nearby table with a certain look in her eye – the want for more rock music.

"Dude looks like a lady…" Stitch chimed in while Pleakley gave Stitch an offended look.

"There's no time to listen to more party music, it's time for you to get you're rock and roll award, sweetie. Come on…" Nani smiled lovingly trying to appeal to the Chad Kroeger within.

And so, the whole ohana as well as other families, friends, and teachers bustled into the G.A.C.C. auditorium. For some, it was just a celebration for toughing it through all of those dreadful courses; they just wanted to go to the ceremony and then forget about this place. Others, it was a transition to better things in life, like higher level degrees at the Galactic Academy or a career. Still, others wanted to stay and continue research or become teachers themselves – or academic advisors with corner offices? But, to one person, it was for other reasons.

"Lilo, now it's time to play a game."

"Yippee! Bring it on!"

"It's called follow the leader, do you remember what that game is?" Nani questioned as her two girls became ecstatic.

"No, tell me ex-bodyguard."

"It's when you copy what the person in front of you is doing…"

"Oooh! I get it! That's why everyone is wearing the same doofus outfit! So unoriginal for such an event, but I get it!"

"Right, so if they stand up, you stand up. If they clap, you clap. If they walk, then you..."

"Walk…"

"Good!" Nani wiped the sweat from her brow.

"There's another game you're going to play at the same time." David added.

"What game?" Lilo had an excited look on her face.

"It's called name swap."

"Oooo" Stitch cooed as Angel grinned mischievously,

"Everyone here has changed their name, including you. Your name is Lilo Pelekai…"

"Lilo Pelekai…? What a weird name. What made you the name giver?"

"Complaining makes you lose…"

"Fine…" Lilo added as a pack of academic leaders instructed Lilo towards her graduating class. "Come on Daniel…" She miraculously grabbed his hand while still hobbling on crutches.

"Do you think it's going to work?" David asked taking a seat next to Jumba and Pleakley in the auditorium; they were on the aisle. The two girls sat in the middle of Nani and David.

"With that mind of hers, I'd say a probability of 0 - kapoot."

"Come on Jumba, be a little more optimistic why don't ya! Lilo always surprises us, in a good way! Stop being Mr. Negative!"

"Zero is not negative, but hey, I give 1% chance, Pleakley…" Jumba smiled as David and Nani looked worried; Jumba's probabilities were usually dead on, except the one with the battle of Leroys. Still frustrated, Pleakley took Jumba's hand and gently petted it. "Or possible 25%..."

"We're going to have to work on that."

The latecomers bustled into the remaining seats in the stadium; it was packed and loud waiting for the ceremony to begin. There seemed to be a representative from every planet in the universe there. Some more than others depending on the progress of the planet. Lilo was the only one from planet Earth. How the Earth still hid the Galactic Federation from its citizens, or was it the other way around? Maybe it was to keep the planet's simple way of life, where asteroids could come to make it start all over again – keep it as a mosquito wildlife reserve. Maybe it was to keep them from progressing or because they considered them inferior. Well, that was about to change, possibly with some hugging to death.

The graduation march sounded. Administration and teachers came first, then the students. Like most graduations on Earth, students were lined alphabetically. This was a difficult task considering the many different languages, scripts, and dialects of the student body. But, that still made Lilo smack in the middle, but a little farther to the end. It took forever, but finally they could see their Lilo stumbling down the walk with "Daniel" still in hand. She was for some reason last and had a piece of paper in her mouth.

"They've got a speech prepared for me, we are going to win!" in a muffled paper voice.

Nani's and David's mouths dropped open, as well as the rest.

"She's at the… top of the class…" Pleakley beamed.

Jumba nodded in shock looking at Angel and Stitch. "You helped her cheat didn't you?"

"Naga!"

The young man struggled from Lilo's grasp to take a seat next to Lilo's ohana. "You'll be fine…" he smiled as she decided to continue without his presence, but looking back confusedly. Band members stick together, after all.

"-25%..." Jumba sighed as Pleakley elbowed him and then placed his arm around Jumba to lovingly massage his back.

"Or, _Mr. Negative_ …?"

"Skyrocketing 49%..."

The ceremony commenced with several sleep-inducing speeches. Everyone was trying to be too eloquent and too intelligent - trying to fit the mold. At least Lilo seemed to be behaving. Hey, maybe Jumba's negative predictions were going to be wrong after all?

"Now, I would like to welcome our class valedictorian to the stage, Earth's very own Lilo Pelekai… Lilo?" Lilo did not move, did not say anything, did not clap, and did not stand up. She wasn't the leader, she was playing follow the leader. "Lilo, are you out there?"

"Yes, I'm here!" Lilo yelled as her ohana let out a relieved sigh. But, an awkward silence echoed through the auditorium as Lilo still remained in her seat.

"Lilo, can you come up here to give your speech?"

"YESS!" Lilo cheered as she bolted through the aisle and up the stairs to the podium literally knocking the announcer off the stage. "FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SAY HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME AND DANIEL ADAIR FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT YOU GIVE US! LIKE COMING TO OUR CONCERTS AND BUYING OUR MEMORABILIA! WE WOULDN'T BE ANYWHERE WITHOUT YOU…" People in the audience began to snicker.

The announcer finally got to his feet. He was the president of the school. " _Read the paper_ …"

"This?" The paper had a bite mark out of it.

" _Yeah that_ …"

"Families, students, and teachers… what kind of speech is this?"

"Maybe you should go up and read it for her…" Jumba suggested to Pleakley.

"Uh, uh, not me, I'm not good at that kind of stuff…"

"Stitch… Angel?" Nani whimpered, but it was too late.

"Who needs this speech?!" Lilo said tearing the paper into shreds. From the audience's point of view, it looked like she was also eating it.

"I wonder where she gets that from?" Pleakley smiled at Jumba.

"From you…" Jumba laughed back.

"LIKE I WAS SAYING, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING MY DREAM COME TRUE AND MAKING THIS ROCK AND ROLL… HALL OF FAME… AWARD… POSSIBLE FOR ME…?" Lilo looked out to the giggling audience in shock. "Tell me, I'm dreaming?" She felt pain in her leg and pain in her face. She looked down and saw crutches at her side, a boot on her left foot. Her hands jumped to her face as she steadied the rest of her body on the podium. She felt stitches zigzagging this way and that. Blood and pus still were slightly coming out of the crevices.

"No!" The president said in an ashamed voice.

Lilo looked deeper into the audience. It was too dark - she couldn't see no one. Just speckles of what were supposed to be faces. She must have been dreaming - it was a nightmare. "I don't want to do this anymore…" Lilo cried as she dove her head into her arms resting on the podium.

"She's back…" Nani cried with joy.

"Can I borrow your phone Pleakley?" the young man said.

"At a time like this!? It's supposed to be muted, or it could go off during the ceremony and be a disruption! I could get thrown out!"

Jumba rolled his eyes. "Babies make sonic blasts and don't get thrown out!" Jumba wrestled Pleakley for the cell phone and gave it to the young man in triumph. He turned on the phone and quickly scrolled through the contacts. Pleakley's mom had called like a million times, so it was quite a find.

"It doesn't get good reception in here; I should know!" Pleakley still protested trying to get his phone back.

"You try?" Jumba joked. Too late – Lilo's phone went off for everyone to hear.

"Hello…?"

"Lilo, this is…"

"Toby… is that you?"

"Yes…"

"I was in Jumba and Pleakley's ship trying to retrieve it back from Hamsterviel. The security system made it self-destruct…" Lilo let out a cry in remembrance as Pleakley nudged Jumba with all his might. "I got… kicked out before it exploded, right through the windshield… the ship was twirling and plummeting… the last thing I can remember is a kaboom! Stitch was left behind… IS STITCH OKAY?"

"Yes, he's sitting next to me right now; he's fine."

"Angel?"

"Same…"

"Did Jumba save Pleakley?"

"Yes," with a little laugh.

"What about Nani, David, Kaylani, and Alani? The experiments? Planet Earth?"

Toby laughed full on. "Everyone and everything is fine. You did it Lilo, like always." The ohana and Toby broke out into applause, which could be heard on the stage microphone. This broadcast made the entire audience applaud making Lilo feel bashful. "Now, feeling up for a speech?"

Lilo shut her phone and jerked the microphone off of its stand - it made the usual deafening microphone noise. She stumbled over to the edge of the stage and let her feet hang from it. Below her was her torn up speech. "Still not needing that piece of paper…" Lilo laughed down at it.

"Today, we are brought here together. Grads, we could have easily stayed in our dorms to catch up on needed sleep. Or perhaps, went to the nearest party to celebrate. Teachers, you could also be at those parties or be finishing up on last minute grading. And families and friends, you could be at home, on whatever planet you reside. But, instead, here we are together, a one in a million chance, in this room at this very minute watching some weirdo wake up from some concussion, remembering my classmates, my teachers, my friends, _my ohana_.

Everyday, not just today, you have so many decisions and paths facing you. Some are small, like what am I going to eat for breakfast this morning? What should I wear, the dress with the blue flowers or the pink flowers? Others may be medium, like what should I do for my final project? Should I study for that test? Finally, others may be huge; they may be the hardest to make of all. Like, should I save my home planet today? Should I tell someone I love them? Should I leave my family and friends to better my life? Should I start my own family? Should I buy that dog at the animal shelter for two dollars?

Decisions – you can either remember them or forget about them, big or small. Smaller and medium are easier to forget about. Hey, pick another option, it won't make that much difference, no biggy. But, the huger decisions are a biggy; they are life-changing either way and are very hard to forget about. In fact, it is hard to decipher which is which at the time. I want you all to think about the decisions you have made in your life, especially the bigger ones, and where you would be without them. Think of all the people who have crossed your path to make it what it is. Venture to the deepest depths of your heart. Then, it is much easier to embrace the future and its set of decisions – to do what's right for us and others. To take risks that may be scary. We can do anything… Thank you…"


	31. Memories

"Come on you guys, stop laying around. It's time for another family fun night!" Nani smiled standing in the middle of Lilo, Stitch, and Angel's rooftop dome.

"But, Nani, Stitch finally got me in a position where I don't feel the pain in my leg and my face. Plus, I can look at my living mummy photos at the same time!"

"Oh, he can get you situated again downstairs, sweetie. Right Stitch? Besides it's the girls first one with the whole family."

"Fine…" Lilo huffed as she knew she could not debate her sister on this. When she had her mind made up that there was going to be a family fun night, then there darn well was going to be a family – fun? - night.

"Safiya?" Stitch questioned holding up Lilo's bed with one hand. Angel almost had her cherished photos taken down as well.

"You can leave them up here." Lilo giggled as she positioned herself next to Nani on the weight sensitive elevator and motioned for them to join them.

As they reached the bottom floor, Stitch and Angel click-clacked out and ransacked through the kitchen for movie time snacks. They knew Nani's would make them want to hurl. Slowly, Nani and Lilo came next. Lilo had been told that under her concussion she had been much faster on the crutches, but that was hard to believe because just the slightest movement could cause her pain and for her to slow down her speed.

"You inviting the entire island? I thought it was going to be a small wedding?" Lilo joked as she took a bag of chips from Angel and glanced at the pile of wedding invitations. It seemed to be growing by the second.

"It is going to be a small wedding! Who are we inviting Jumba? The Grand Councilwoman, Cobra, Gantu… uhhh… who else?"

"Victoria, cool Keoni Jameson family - and all my experiments!"

"Yes, dear, all of your experiments…" Pleakley smiled as he gave Jumba a kiss on the cheek.

"Cousins!" Stitch cheered.

"All done. We'll go drop them off at the post office tomorrow, okay Jumba?" Pleakley smiled as Jumba nodded.

"Prepshi ohana maladhi jhua tehrqua!" Stitch chuckled clutching a 32 pack of soda as if he had won the jackpot.

"El kiyotay boojiboo!" Angel agreed.

"What did he say about my family fun night?" Nani questioned offendedly gathering up some of her homemade snacks and placing them on the coffee table in the other room.

"He said that tonight will be a good family fun night with soda." Lilo laughed.

"No, put that all back! You're going to drink _my_ sparkling castle moat punch!"

"Don't forget Nani– I helped you make it! I added a gallon of water from the stream next to the treehouse to it. It gives it the sparkle!" Pleakley added flickering his fingers.

"IKY!"

"Says the one that drinks water from the toilet!" Pleakley defended.

"Wait… castle moat punch? Don't tell me – we're watching another princess movie tonight! We've seen all of them, so fake! I bet Uncle Jumba and Aunt Pleakley could reinact every one!" Lilo groaned.

"That is being true, not-so-little-girl, very true." Jumba grinned lovingly at Pleakley.

"A whole new world!" Pleakley sang out in a squeaky out of tune voice.

"A whole new world for you and me!" Jumba sang evilly as Stitch covered his ears.

"You need to practice…!"

"What did we miss?" David asked as he piggy-backed the two girls in pajamas into the kitchen. They had just come back from an excursion to the bathroom.

"Not much. We just decided that we're not watching another princess movie tonight." Lilo declared.

"And you missed Pleakley's cacophonous opera singing!" Jumba joked nudging Pleakley. Pleakley nudged him back. "Kidding…"

"Then what are we going to watch tonight?" Nani sulked as if her whole family fun night preparations had been pointless.

"We'll find something!" Lilo stumbled into the family room to dig through a box of old tapes.

"Not another Elvis documentary!" The whole family, except Alani and Kaylani, said in unison.

"Thank you, thank you very much…" Stitch posed.

"Fine, fine!" Lilo laughed as she literally placed all the VHS tapes to the side as rejects. "What about Wasp Mummies VI?"

"That's not appropriate for two year olds. The movie needs to be rated G."

"That's no fun! What about Old Yeller?"

"That one makes Nani cry too much." David remarked as he set the girls on the ground and assisted Nani in carrying the rest of her snacks.

Pleakley took the girls' hands and led them into the family room. Alani was in a purple set of pajamas with stars all over it and Kaylani was wearing a set that was orange that had a bunch of animal prints on it. "Aren't they so cute Jumba?"

Somehow that question had a much deeper meaning. "They are." Jumba smiled in agreeance. Pleakley'd had never seen Jumba smile that way before. It was new, kind of strange, but very fascinating.

"I've got it! We can watch our old family tapes!" Lilo announced holding up three VHS tapes in the air. "We haven't watched 'em in ages! Don't you want to watch that girls?"

"Yeah!" They both giggled.

"Fine…" Nani scowled placing down a fortress of pretzels.

"Tookie bah wah bah!" Stitch took one of the tapes and put it into the VHS player as he adjusted the volume to his liking. Angel helped Lilo settle down into the old loveseat.

"DAD!" Lilo accused as she ducked her head from the screen. "You never did rewind the VHS tapes!"

"Every movie…" Nani laughed as she placed an arm around her sister.

 _A young lady resembling Nani commenced her walk down the makeshift aisle. Family was on the right and the left; they're eyes goading her on. All were in the old backyard, much younger then. Plants just a sprout, just blossoming in the Hawaiian sun. A slight smell of newly applied house paint. A newness and youngness to everything that was to be._

 _The young lady confronted her soon to be husband. Because of origin, he looked a lot like David, but he didn't have quite the same surfer physique. Both parts of the whole looked happy as they stood side by side._

The tape flashed forward.

 _"You may kiss the bride."_

 _With Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis blaring, the couple kissed a short but loving kiss to a crack of thunder. But, neither were aware of the storm that was nearing in the distance. Everyone bustled in quickly for the reception, drenched in the best of moods._

"Voodoo at it's best…" Lilo sighed staring at the screen. "Stop hugging me to death!"

Nani didn't let up. "Look, there's your record player."

"Mom was always an Elvis fan."

 _"Bring me my baby, you big hog!" with arms stretched out with no choice but to come closer. Sweat was running down her face._

 _"Alright, alright, dear…" as the man happily sat down on the bed beside his wife._

 _"Isn't she just an angel, just darling?" in a whisper._

 _"The most precious thing I've ever seen…"_

"That's Mommy girls. Look at grandma and grandpa oodle over her…" Lilo interrupted as the rest of the ohana giggled.

" _She has eyes like her father…" the mother said._

" _She has a smile like her mother…" the father said._

" _Our little Nani…"_

The rest of the first tape highlighted pretty much all of Nani's early childhood, to much of Nani's dismay and her dire want to fast forward. From the first time she tried some yucky peas to loosing her first tooth. From her first hula recital to the first time at the beach. From the first time she rode a big girl's bicycle to the first day of kindergarten, then middle school. Her first dance with a boy. Then, second tape…

" _Come see your new little sister, Nani…" the father said giving an all clear to the young woman sitting outside the door._

"Here we go…" Jumba chuckled as he looked at Lilo.

" _What's her name?"_

" _Lilo…"_

" _Lilo? I like it."_

" _We do too," the mother chimed as she gently passed the baby into Nani's hands. The mother laced her hands with her husband's._

" _Hi there, Lilo… I'm Nani, you're big sister."_

"Again! Stop hugging me to death!"

"You wanted to watch this!"

To follow, Lilo's childhood was a lot like Nani's but with the ups and downs of a teenager, plus…

" _Lilo, sweetie come here…" Nani cried, but a little embarrassed by the commotion her sister was making during the service._

" _NO!" turning her back to her sister with tears streaming down her face. "Mom and Dad are coming back! They are! It didn't happen…!"_

" _They're not…" Nani corrected as the two cried into each other's chests. "They're only in our hearts…"_

Silence echoed through the room. For a moment, the ohana sat there in remembrance shedding a few tears. But, Stitch finally gathered up the bravery to pop in the last tape. A new filmer had clearly taken up the ranks.

" _This is my new Uncle Jumba! Say hi Uncle Jumba!"_

" _Hello..?" Jumba mumbled as he stumbled past the little girl. He was carrying a trunk._

" _He's an alien from another planet that crash landed here. He's the evil scientist that made my dog Stitch!"_

" _Hi!" Stitch toothily grinned getting a close up with the camera._

" _Hey, not evil scientist! Evil genius! No time for chit chattering, time for experimenting!"_

" _Okay!" The little girl waited for Jumba to get out of frame. "Nani said he could live here. He blew up our house… but that was only half his fault. Stitch did the rest…"_

" _Wait just a second, what did Jumba say? Did he say he's going to be doing some experimenting? I don't think so!" the three-legged noodle demanded carrying his own set of suitcases past the little girl and up the stairs._

" _That's my new Aunt Pleakley…"_

" _Iky…" Stitch smirked._

" _Pleakley and Jumba fight a lot. This could be interesting…" with snide grins._

" _Now Jumba, looky here. The last time you 'experimented' you created THAT. Do you seriously want to be getting into anymore trouble than you already are in?"_

" _Can't get into any worse trouble. Being around you is as much punishment Jumba can take."_

" _I'm going to have to report you to the federation!"_

" _For insulting you? Ridiculous! Jumba thought you were fired!" setting up some contraption._

" _I mean it!"_

" _Fine, have it your way little one…"_

" _Okay, now that we have that settled, let's lay down some ground rules."_

" _Why be needing that?"_

" _Seeing that we're going to be sharing the same room for awhile, ground rules sound perfectly acceptable."_

" _Sheesh, not that big of deal!"_

" _Is that so? I'm dorming with some criminal!"_

" _Fine… ground rule one… no annoying Pleakley in Jumba's room."_

" _Who said I wanted you in my room either!?"_

" _Sounds good to me!"_

" _That's not what I mean…! We have to share this room! Rule one disqualified."_

" _New rule one… Jumba gets top bunk!"_

" _Oh no you don't!"_

" _Being as big as Jumba does have its advantages…"_

" _So be it! Rule number two… no harassing, tormenting, or abusing me!"_

" _Why would Jumba do that?"_

" _Why wouldn't you?"_

" _Rule three… no peeping into Jumba's personal business…"_

" _Rule four… keep to disguise…"_

" _Rule five… no nagging Jumba."_

" _Rule six… keep the room clean and orderly."_

" _Rule seven… don't tell Jumba what to do," reaching for wig from top bunk._

" _Rule eight… don't steal my wigs!"_

" _Fine!"_

" _Fine!"_

" _Fine!" Stitch crowed as he fell into a frenzy of laughing._

The last tape continued to go through a series of many memories they had shared. From chasing down experiments, to the birthday parties, and to the holidays. From the orchestras to the bands. From the weddings to the coma. Even Pleakley's homemade love films of Stitch and Angel. It was all there. They had gone through everything together.


	32. The Most Perfect Day of Everyone's Life

"Mother, do I have to go over all of this again? This is a private wedding. You weren't invited. I can't believe that you spied on me and just dropped in!" Pleakley said sternly running down the stairs and into the kitchen about ready to bustle out to the backyard. "I also uninvited you out of the rest of my life…" Pleakley whispered inaudibly.

"But, you don't know who you're marrying, son. Look, 'Idiot Scientist Actually Creates Something.'"

"Old news…" Pleakley yawned as he took the newspaper and ripped it in two.

"Listen to this…"

"My sob stories about getting my head chewed off by Jumba's creations won't work either."

"He caused your coma…!"

"FOR THE LAST TIME, HE CAUSED MY COMA BECAUSE I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HIM! AND THAT'S A FACT, NOT SOME SILLY FIB!" Wow, that still never registered with her. "YOU APPROVED BACK WHEN WE HAD THAT FAKE WEDDING…"

"THAT'S WHEN I THOUGHT HE WAS A NORMAL EARTH FEMALE! HE'S A _MAN_ , WENDY, AND YOU KNOW IT. BESIDES THAT A BAD MAN! IN OUR CULTURE…!"

"IS THIS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT? WHY YOU WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE?" Pleakley screamed back trying not to let his tears and anger get the best of him on this special day. "LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING." Pleakley took a big gulp of air as he peered out the window to the expecting audience. "LOVE ISN'T SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF CULTURAL OR PATRIARCHAL RULES. IT ALSO ISN'T SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF GENDER RULES. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SAYING THIS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING TOTALLY ABOVE THAT AND CAN NEVER BE TIED DOWN TO SUCH RULES." Pleakley began to think of Jumba and immediately cooled down placing his hands to his chest. "Love is when you have done everything with that other… It's when you completely trust the other and when you both would do anything for the best of them… Love is when you complete each other…" Pleakley looked into his mother's confused eyes. "Why do I even bother? You wouldn't understand…." Pleakley reached for the doorknob.

"Wait, aren't you going to wear Grandma Pleakley's wedding dress?" clutching Pleakley's hand and looking down at his dress as if she had seen a fashion catastrophe. Pleakley knew so much more about fashion and, in his eye, Grandma Pleakley's wedding dress wasn't exactly 'in.'

"Never in my life! You're just jealous because I look prettier than you on your wedding day," twisting the doorknob.

"Can I walk you down the aisle?" in desperation.

"Of course _not_ …!" Pleakley opened the door and immediately shut it in her face – maybe she would get the point this time? - as the audience silently stared. He was wearing a gown that barely touched the ground with light pink, blue, and orange Hawaiian flowers scattered among it. Around the skimpy waistline was some silver sequins and this was repeated at the top – strapless. The white, laced veil gently hid his lone eye and he was wearing his favorite brown wig. It was doctored up in a bun in the back, but with some curly tufts in front.

With Gantu singing a hilarious song with Reuben, Pleakley commenced forward as his mom reopened the door and sat down in the very back next to Pixley and Bertley. "Move it! None of you are on our side!" Mother Pleakley scowled dissatisfied by the seating. In front of her must have been at least four hundred experiments. To their right, another four hundred. In the very front, the Grand Councilwoman, Cobra Bubbles, Toby, Victoria, and Keoni. All looked back at her not very nicely assuming it was them that she was referring to. "I'll be quiet." Mother Pleakley gulped embarrassedly as everyone turned back around.

Pleakley neared his Earth family at the front. So many emotions were flooding his mind and so many memories had flashed before him once again. One's from his own personal milestones, like graduating from G.A.C.C., getting a job in the Galactic Federation. And some of their shared milestones, like going to the grocery store for the first time or sharing their first kiss. Just reliving how this all happened.

Jumba, in matching bowtie, was in the center standing next to the Happy Slots minister showing off the most handsome smile Pleakley had ever seen. This time, Jumba wasn't standing on a flimsy piece of wood with tires underneath, just the ground. To the right of Jumba was David and Stitch respectively. And to the left was Nani, crutched up Lilo, Angel, Alani, and Kaylani.

"Well, dearly beloved, here we are, gathered to witness the air-lasting union of Jumba and Pleakley," The scripted minister paused as if he had nothing else to say. People in Las Vegas are quite rash. "Jumba it's vow time. Lay it on us babe!" The minister chimed as everyone made a little snicker.

"Pleakley…" Jumba started as he took one of Pleakley's hands and dug in a back pocket with the other. "I want to read you something." Angel and Stitch were shooting silly faces back at each other, which made Alani and Kaylani laugh. "Something only to be read… aloud… by me…" Jumba unraveled the last love letter he had written, never to be seen by anyone. "March 31st, 2014… Dear Pleakley…" Jumba paused as he looked at the reaction on Pleakley's face. He swore tears were in his loved one's eyes, but the veil made it near impossible to tell. "Haven't written to you in a long time. Haven't seen you in a long time… I try to remember that look you give to me when you think I'm doing something ethically wrong." Jumba made a little chuckle. "That frightened look when you think the whole planet is doomed. Even back to our first real fight over your wig - that angry look you gave me. And the best of all, that smile you give to me when I've returned from my evil genius lab to spend some time with you… _my_ little one-eyed one…. The more I remember, the more I can never forget and the more I miss you - I want you back in my life… For the first time, I am empty. Never felt this feeling before for anything in entire universe, including my experiments. Me, Jumba, is missing something." Jumba took both of Pleakley's hands letting the letter fly into the distance. "I can't believe it took me this long to realize, but you have stolen what has gone missing. What I thought I lacked for such a long time." Jumba looked into Pleakley's very teared up eye from memory. "Not just my evilness or my want for more Macadamian nuts…, but my heart…" Tears of joy ran down both of their cheeks. "Forever and always your best friend and _lover_ , Jumba…"

The minister stood in shock. Never had anyone's vows been that long at the Happy Slots Chapel. "Pleakley, your vows?"

Pleakley wiped away his many tears, Jumba trying to catch some of them. "Jumba… when we first met, let me be honest, I was deathly scared of you…" A little laugh escaped his mouth as Jumba nodded in agreement with a laugh of his own. "At that moment, I am thinking, how, out of the other googles of planets in the galaxy, did that little monster of yours escape to the _one_ I study? Why does it have to be me? Anybody but me!" Pleakley smiled at Stitch. "And, why does the evil genius have to come along? Any second now, when that Grand Councilwoman isn't looking, he's going to use me for his own experimentation. Or better yet, squash me or eat me alive…" Pleakley paused looking up at Jumba. "Yes, we've had our bouts, but nothing of the torment that I originally expected. Instead, you grow on me and I get to know you better. We become best friends. So, here I stand witnessing someone who I never thought would change, indeed change rather beautifully. From changing from mean to more mischievous and from reserved to more open and caring… Watching you has stolen my heart, too, you big romantic. But, you have also given me something in return. You have changed me through the better and worse as I have changed you; we have changed each other." Pleakley smiled with regained tears as he hugged Jumba, who also had tears in his eyes.

"Do we have any objections?" The minister asked. Pleakley side-glanced at his mom. If she were to protest, there would be a war like never before. Meanwhile, Jumba looked back at David as they shared a fond grin in remembrance. "Fantastic… Pleakley, as you place this ring on Jumba's finger, I ask you: Do you take Jumba to be your intergalactically binding husband?"

"I do…" Pleakley couldn't stop smiling and crying at the same time as he took Jumba's ring from a pillow Stitch was holding. He placed it on Jumba's ring finger. At least, it was much bigger than last time, for Jumba's poor sake.

"And, Jumba, as you place this ring on Pleakley's finger, I ask you: Do you take Pleakley to be your intergalactically binding wife?"

"I do…" Jumba smiled drawing Pleakley near and slipping the ring on one of his little one's fingers.

"By the power vested in me, as sole owner and proprieter of Happy Slots Chapel, I now pronounce you husband and wife…, Mr. and Mrs. Jookiba… You may kiss the bride…"


	33. Epilogue

_"Tooki bawaba!" Stitch sung as he chopped the enormous wedding cake in half with the chainsaw. He was clearly impatient because of Pleakley stringing along the cutting of the first slice. It was coconut cake after all! "Woops, soka…." Stitch apologized as he noticed that he had smothered both Jumba and Pleakley alive._

 _Jumba looked at Pleakley, whom he thought would be steaming mad. Instead, Pleakley laughed and stuffed a smushed piece of cake into Jumba's mouth. Jumba tried to reciprocate as Pleakley stood up and threw a piece of cake at his lover. He took off running in the other direction._

 _"You come back here!" Jumba called as he chased after Pleakley through the yard with a handful of cake in hand. By this sight, the experiments and children became very rowdy. A food fight was born._

 _"You wouldn't dare!" smiling so wide._

 _"Yes, my little one, I think I would!" Backing Pleakley against a wall of the old house, he smeared the cake on Pleakley's face and then licked it off with a few kisses here and there._

 _"Turn around, it's my turn." Pleakley demanded as Jumba obeyed. He laughed noticing a stripe of frosting coating Jumba's backside. Finger after finger, he savored the taste. "Hey I just cleaned that Stitch!" Pleakley chased after the the blue fluffy creature with the cake Stitch had thrown at Jumba's back. With aim, Pleakley didn't miss. The three came toppling to the ground._

"I want cake!"

"No, will make you bounce off walls…"

"Preddy please!"

"No…" trying to pay attention to the screen.

"Pleaseeee….! I really love you Daddy!" with a pouty look.

"Loving you too, sweetie…" Defeated again. "Will promise not to bounce off walls?"

"Yeah!"

"Come with Daddy to get your cake?"

"Yay! I love you Daddy!" taking Jumba's hand.

"Hey Daddy, while you're up, can you get me some mashed potatoes, some rootbeer, …"

"Yeah, and pickles, ribs, some lemonade, some nachos – extra spicy salsa – and an ice cream sundae. Right Mommy?"

"You read my mind! Can you bring a bottle too, dear?" Pleakley smiled cradling their newest addition to their own little ohana. Jumba nodded and mosied into the kitchen with his daughter. Pleakley shifted on the couch in hopes to get more comfortable, which seemed practically impossible. He tickled their son, who giggled. "Looky honey, its Daddy and Mommy's first dance at our wedding." More giggles.

 _For once, the entire universe was in silence. Jumba took Pleakley's hands and they began to sway back and forth to the rhythm. It was their song and it revved them up. The audience looked struck, but in a good way. If the experiments' badness levels were at any degree of badness, those levels would have completely decimated._

"Here's your pickles Mommy. I love you."

"Thanks, sweetheart…" Pleakley smiled as he gave her a kiss on the head and cuddled her near. He handed their youngest to Jumba.

"Your welcome. Here's your boddle brodder. I love you."

The tape whizzed through the wedding night of dancing and fun. Some of the experiments had gotten a little rowdy and had graffitied Jumba and Pleakley's new red spaceship with things like "Just Married" and all that gushy stuff. Jumba and Pleakley didn't seem to mind too much. It was Earth paint, so they could get it off easily.

The tape flashed forward.

 _"You still have that old clunker? You stole that like twelve years ago! I thought you returned it back to the proper owner!"_

 _"Not stealing! Biker gang had too many… Just hop on back with someone else…"_

 _"You shameful man…" with a giggle._

 _"True…"_

 _Jumba and Pleakley hopped on the hog and rode off into the night._

"You shameful man…" their daughter repeated as Jumba and Pleakley both broke out into a inconsolable laugh. Kids…

The tape flashed forward.

 _"Good morning, my little one, Jumba brought you breakfast…"_

 _"You big sweetheart... Set that down and come here right now you se…"_

Jumba paused the TV. "Awww… is getting late, time for little boys and little girls to go to bed."

"I want to watch Mommy and Daddy!" pointing to the screen.

"You don't want to watch that…"

"Yes, I do!"

"Are you sure? It shows how much Daddy and I love each other."

Their daughter nodded.

To prove her wrong, Jumba and Pleakley went in for a kiss. That still never got old. "Ewwww….." She hid her face.

"See? Time for bed, sweetie…" Pleakley laughed getting off the couch and taking her hand. "Night, night. Don't let the mosquitoes bite…"

"Selfish Mommy…" Jumba snickered as the two tucked in their daughter and son. "Goodnight little ones…"

"Goodnight… I love you…"

"We love you too…"

"Remember, no bouncing on bed…"

"Fine…" with a giggle.

* * *

"Jumba?"

"What's on my little one's mind?" With a playful grin and toying with the tape. He placed it on the dresser.

"I think I'm craving one last thing for tonight…" Laying on the bed and rubbing his belly.

"Not another pregnancy craving! What's it this time?" Jumba got ready to leave the room in hunt for the whole refrigerator.

"Pop that tape in and come here…"

The End…

* * *

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading my fic! If you want to check out my other Lilo and Stitch stories, check out my profile! Have a magical day!


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